|
|
|
It was this time last year in Plouay that a difference of opinion between Italian teammates and former close friends Michele Bartoli and Paolo Bettini may have cost them the World Championship. Since then, the pair have ridden for the same trade team for much of the season, until Bartoli left Mapei for Fassa Bortolo a couple of weeks ago.
The tension is apparent in the Italian camp leading into Sunday's race, with Bartoli and Bettini expected to play key roles. National technical director Franco Ballerini is attempting to keep everyone under control, and so far it seems to be working.
Bettini said today that both he and Bartoli would be dangerous to their rivals, not to each other. "Michele has changed jerseys but we race together," said Bettini. "We are calm, everything that has happened does not have to create additional problems between me and Michele."
Bettini also commented on Sunday's race, which will be held over a very testing circuit, to be completed 21 times. "This is not a race in which you can save energy by sitting on a wheel. When it starts to get hard there will be a natural selection and those who remain will need to be on a good day. Obviously, I hope to have a good day next Sunday."
"I have shown that when the finish is a small group, I can succeed in the sprint, therefore the others must attack. We will try not to mess up this sprint."
By Tim Maloney, cyclingnews.com correspondent
This year, Ukrainian Yaroslav Popovych has had a remarkable season; ranked #1 in the UCI U23 charts, the lean Ukranian rider has shown the world he is likely the best and now is his chance to prove it. But this won't be such an easy task for Popovych as he must best 154 other riders.
Popovych's major competition comes from all over the map; Russia has Alex Kolobnev, a major winner in Italy this season. Italy will offer potential winners like the experienced Lorenzo Bernucci and European U23 road race champ Giampaolo Caruso, while individual riders like Swede Kris Ingeby, speedy Belgian Tom Boonen, talented Canadian Charles Dionne, French U23 espoir Chris LeMevel and a solid USA squad headed by U23 TT World Champ Danny Pate.
The U23 riders will race 14 action packed laps of 12.1 km for a total race distance of 169.4 km.
 |
Following Jeannie Longo's 13th World title in the women's time trial yesterday, French minister for Youth and Sports, Marie-George Buffet has sent her a telegram of congratulations. "Your perseverance never ceases to impress," it read. "Before I wish you good luck for the road race on Saturday, I want to pay tribute to your talent and your pugnacity."
Belgian entrant for the Elite men's time trial, Nico Mattan, was involved in a bizarre crash after yesterday's Junior Men's time trial, won by his compatriot Jurgen Van Den Broeck. Mattan had the intention of congratulating Jurgen on his win, but was physically prevented from riding on the parcours by a UCI official. He collided with the official and fell to the ground, suffering a few grazes. The official suffered some bruises. Mattan finished 18th in the men's time trial.
The UCI today carried out 34 drug tests on riders participating in the World Championships in Lisbon. 26 men and 8 women were tested from the following countries: Australian, Czech Republic, Germany, New Zealand, and Switzerland.
It's hard being the world's number one cycling nation. Italy, with the most professionals in the peloton and the highest number of UCI points, is struggling to come to terms with what has been a moderate season in terms of results.
 |
In comments made to Bloomberg News/Darren Tulett, recently signed Saeco team manager Giuseppe Martinelli called the 2001 season "almost a complete failure for the Italians." Martinelli may have had his views clouded by the fact that he was in charge of Pantani's Mercatone Uno team, that certainly failed to perform this year. "We're the nation with most riders, a lot more is expected of us," added Martinelli.
For the first time in 16 years, no Italian won a stage in the Tour de France. They were not helped by the absence of multiple stage winner Mario Cipollini (Saeco), whose team did not get an invite. Cipollini has had a short season, and has not been spotted at the top of the results sheet since the Giro d'Italia in June, where he was successful in winning three stages. He also finished second in this year's Milan-San Remo classic, despite being obstructed by a fall in the finishing sprint.
Mapei's Paolo Bettini started the year with some bad luck, being bitten by a monkey in Malaysia before the Tour de Langkawi. He had to take antibiotics for two weeks. "There's nothing you can do about things like that, it's just bad luck," said Mapei team spokesman Alessandro Tegner. "I mean, how do you plan for monkeys?"
Bettini still managed to win two stages of that race and has performed well throughout the year, winning the Championship of Zurich World Cup in August, as well as the final stage of the Giro di Lucca. Speaking of World Cup wins, Gianluca Bortolami (Tacconi Sport) beat the likely World Cup champion Erik Dekker in the Tour of Flanders in April.
However, these are the bright points in a season that saw Italy's largest race, the Giro d'Italia, lose almost all its sporting merit after a massive police raid on team hotels in San Remo on June 6. The raid was carried out by the Italian narcotics police (NAS), and they seized all manner of medical products from riders and staff. Some of these were illegal, and the investigation into some 60 people is still going on.
The raid took place the night before a crucial mountain stage, with the race poised between eventual winner Gilberto Simoni (Lampre) and Dario Frigo (Fassa Bortolo). Simoni had the jersey by 15 seconds, and looked like he could hold it, but he was left without competition when Frigo was found in possession of drugs and excluded from the race (and his team). In addition, Frigo's teammate Wladimir Belli was thrown off the race for punching a spectator during a mountain stage, who turned out to be Simoni's cousin.
"The Tour of Italy was the lowest point of our season," commented Martinelli. "It overshadowed everything that came afterwards."
Then there was the Tour de France, with the best performed Italian being Stefano Garzelli (Mapei) who finished 14th overall, 29 minutes behind winner Lance Armstrong. There were no stages won, compared with five in last year's Tour. The Vuelta España was a little better, with three Italian victories, all coming in the final four days, but that was it.
This week, Italy is hoping to win at least one gold medal in the road races in Lisbon, as there has been no Italian success in the time trials. With riders like Nardello, Bettini, Davide Rebellin, Michele Bartoli and Francesco Casagrande, Italy has every chance to win in the men's road race.
Italian team manager Franco Ballerini said, "We know it won't be easy but we have a very, very strong national team. We haven't won for nine years and people are getting impatient."
Gianni Bugno was the last Italian winner in 1992. "The world championships are our last chance,'' Martinelli said. "We must get a good result, or the season will end in complete disappointment."
Sub-minute man, Arnaud Tournant, may try for the World Record in the flying 200 metre time trial, provided he recovers from his monumental effort in yesterday's successful 1,000 metre attempt. On the high altitude (3417m) velodrome in La Paz, Bolivia, Tournant rode 58.875 seconds from a standing start for the kilometre, the first rider ever to do so.
His compatriot Arnaud Dublé managed to shave nearly a second off Alexandre Kiritchenko's 500 metre time, but Laurent Gané failed in his bid to break the 200 metre record after he fell during the attempt. Gané was taken to a local hospital, but fears that he had broken his collarbone turned out to be unfounded.
US Postal's revelation in the Vuelta, Levi Leipheimer, will probably ride with Rabobank next season. The 27 year old who finished third in the Spanish grand tour, told De Telegraaf in Lisbon that "Rabobank is my ideal team. It is a professional team with a perfect organisation. I have always heard good things about it. I can hit it off with most of the riders in the formation. We are in agreement about the money. I just have to examine all the details of their offer in peace and quiet."
"This is the most important choice of my career," added Leipheimer. "Therefore I don't want to do anything rash. I don't want any surprises when I sign the contract this coming weekend."
"With US Postal, they did not anticipate that I would finish third in the Vuelta. There is no more budget to give me a better contract. For myself, I also want to leave. I want to be sure that I am in a team where I can play an important role in the coming Tour de France. I have that guarantee with Rabobank."
Track specialist Matthew Gilmore has signed a contract with the Mapei-Quick Step team for next season. The 29-year old of Australian origin but with a Belgian passport has been a professional racer since 1994. Mostly he will be taking part in on road races that make up the International Calendar. He will be taking part in Six Day races where he will be coupled with the 2000 Olympic Champion Scott McGrory.
During the Olympic games in Sydney, Gilmore, who was coupled with De Wilde, gained second place behind the Australian duo of McGrory-Aitken.
Swedish espoir Emil Arnell has been offered a contract with CSC-Tiscali, but is at the same time under suspicion of doping. The International Cycling Union (UCI) wants an explanation of the unusually high testosterone values that Arnell showed during the "Baby Giro" (Giro d'Italia for younger riders) where he won a stage this summer. Arnell also won the GP Tell a couple of weeks ago. The Swede has decided not to start in the World Championships on Friday.
The suspicions have been confirmed by CSC-Tiscali manager Bjarne Riis as well as sport director Alex Pedersen, who has had contacts with the Swede. Arnell, who has been riding for Italian amateur team Italfine-Podenzano this season now has a three week period to explain himself for the UCI.
"Emil told me himself. The UCI procedure is unusual and he has full support from the Swedish Cycling Federation," said Pedersen to Danish daily Politiken.
"If the analyses that will now be done mean that UCI frees him from suspicion then our deal will stand. Otherwise there will be no contract, which he fully understands," said Pedersen.
"The whole affair seems very odd. If the UCI has started an investigation against him we should immediately have been notified. But this isn't the case," said Swedish National sports director Hans Falk to the Swedish daily Aftonbladet. Falk himself got the news from Danish media who wanted comments.
Hein Verbruggen has been re-elected president of the UCI, after a meeting on Thursday morning in Lisbon. The 60 year old has been head of cycling's governing body since 1991, as well as being a member of the International Olympic Committee. Although his next term is for four years, he has indicated in the past that he will not complete it.
One of the last events on the 2001 road calendar, the Grand Prix d'Europa, has been cancelled. The time trial was scheduled for October 21, but the organisers have been forced to call it off for financial reasons.
"It is a temporary interruption, due to the withdrawal of a financial partner who pulled out at the last minute," said spokesman Gianni Somarriva. "But I already have the agreement of a bank which assured us its support next season."
Voters made their wishes clear in the 2001 USA Cycling Annual Member Election. In a landslide victory, Proposition A defeated Proposition B, which failed to meet quorum requirements.
With 6,007 "yes" votes for Proposition A versus 432 "yes" votes for Proposition B, Proposition A exceeded election quorum requirements and prevailed by nearly a 14-to-1 margin in the gross vote count. The 2001 election marks the first time a quorum was reached in a USA Cycling Annual Member Election.
"The vote clearly demonstrates that members are in favor of what Proposition A stands for - member voting rights, the continued involvement of the USA Cycling Development Foundation, full representation of all cycling disciplines and a simpler governance structure," said USA Cycling's CEO Lisa Voight.
"The initiative taken by USA Cycling members in this year's election is encouraging," she added. "This organization is for the members, and the voting process is one way they can make their voices heard. We hope they will continue to do so in the future."
The three other Major Reform and Legislative Issues on the 2001 ballot - Propositions C, D and E - did not achieve quorum.
In trustee elections, Prime Alliance team director Roy Knickman won the USPRO Team Manager Trustee seat over Saturn's Tom Schuler and Mercury's John Wordin.
The Eastern USCF Board of Trustee position went to incumbent David Miller of Bethlehem, Pa. Fellow USCF board incumbent David Iltis of Salt Lake City kept his Western Trustee seat, while John Tarbert of Palmer Lake, Colo., scored a victory in the Central Trustee election.
All votes were counted and confirmed by the independent auditing firm of Waugh & Associates, P.C., in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Major Reform Proposals and Legislative Issues
Yes Votes No Votes
Proposition A 6,007 484
Proposition B 432 6,059
Proposition C 455 339
Proposition D 310 475
Proposition E 549 193
USPRO Team Manager
Roy Knickman 5
Tom Schuler 3
John Wordin 2
USCF Board of Trustees - Eastern Section
David Miller 203
JD Bilodeau 185
USCF Board of Trustees - Western Section
David Iltis 126
Ryan Littlefield 56
Jim Allen 43
USCF Board of Trustees - Central Section
John Tarbert 85
Steve Richards 58
Stephen B. Cohen 46
Thomas Doughty 36
Malcolm McCollam 26
Jerry Pearce 12
When the riders line up this Saturday at Gloucester's Stage Fort Park for the opener of the SuperCup Cyclocross Series, 10,000 eyes will be on local star Tim Johnson. Steve Prefontaine had his Oregon Stadium; Johnson has Gloucester. Tim Johnson is America's first great cyclo-cross rider, capable of riding at the international pro level. Since winning the junior national title in 1995, he has consistently bumped up the standards and expectations of U.S. cyclo-cross riders.
As an amateur he won the SuperCup Under-23 series title, the U.S. Under-23 championship, and became the first American to ever score a medal at the World Cyclocross Championships. As a first-year pro, the Team Saturn rider won the national championship last winter, but did not compete at the World's due to a contract obligation with his team.
In the increasingly popular sport of cyclo-cross, described as Formula 1 mountain bike racing, Johnson is perhaps the most gifted American ever to hop on, off, and back on a 'cross bike.
But this weekend, in front of a hometown crowd, he'll take on the reigning World Professional Champion Erwin Vervecken of Belgium. Can he beat him?
"We'll get a few punches in," said Johnson. "He's a fast, fast, fast rider. He'll go way faster than all of us if he wants to.I will do my absolute best to hang on to the best 'cross racer in the world."
The one resource Johnson has is the preparation, depth and quality of the American field lining up against Vervecken on Saturday. When Daniele Pontoni of Italy, a former world champion, raced the SuperCup opener in 1999 he shelled the Americans. One of those casualties was Johnson, who learned a lot from the affair.
"Pontoni came over and we were all in our baby shoes. And Pontoni was on his way down a little," said Johnson, who has since placed ahead of the Italian in major races. "The bar has definitely come up a lot. Our field is much deeper now," explained Johnson. "With Pontoni it went from like six riders down to one. With Vervecken there will be like nine riders, down to six, down to three."
Uncharacteristically, Johnson demurred to other Americans as likely to defend the flag this weekend, when thousands of bell-ringing New Englanders flock to the barricades for their beloved cyclo-cross races.
"I think (Johnny) Sundt and Mark (McCormack) can hang on," said Johnson, noting the particular improvement of Seattle's Johnny Sundt (K2) who defeated Johnson recently in a regional race. "He's real good, he's super fast right now, and he's got amazing skills."
Massachusetts' Mark McCormack (Saturn), a former national champion, SuperCup champion and the defending champion of this race, is in remarkable condition. Johnson notes he, above anybody else, knows how to convert long-distance road racing strength into the intensive hour-long burst of speed needed to win cyclo-cross.
"I'm still limping from trying to go running," said Johnson. "He's done it for nine years now. It would make sense that he could (make the conversion)."
Team Saturn will also have two-time national champion Frank McCormack on the line. Another component Vervecken will have to face is Team Kona, featuring the Canadian national champion Peter Wedge, the 1999 SuperCup champion Bart Bowen, and Dale Knapp, a brave rider capable of Herculean acts and certain to draw crowd support.
Also expected to rock the crowds will be Marc Gullickson (Mongoose), the 1999 national champion and defending SuperCup champion. Despite a first-lap crash that left him dead last, Gullickson finished 13th at the World Cyclocross Championships, the highest placing ever by an American at the pro level. Many felt Johnson, given his winter skills, would have cracked the top 10. The young Massachusetts star has already started to design his training for the worlds, to be held in Vervecken's native Belgium.
Is there a chance that Vervecken will somehow not be prepared for this early season classic?
Johnson laughed. "It's like asking in July, 'How's Lance's form?' July is Lance's time; this is Vervecken's time."
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
Recently on Cyclingnews
Latest Photos - Olympic
Armstrong, Boulder & California 'cross, More Pan-Am, Canberra, Boston & REI
'cross (December 13)
Cyclingnews survey -
Reader Poll 2001 - Vote for your favourite riders
Letters
- VDB, Lance, Boring Tour, Coastal Post, Respect (December 13)
Cyclingnews Interview
- Ryan Bayley - the KFC-fuelled world champ (December 13)
Cyclingnews Interview
- David McKenzie - Macca's back (December 12)
Cyclingnews Interview
- Laurent Jalabert - Jalabert looks ahead (December 11)
Cyclingnews Interview
- Charly Wegelius - A coffee stop with Charly (December 8)
Cyclingnews
Interview - Sven Montgomery - Moving up in the world (December 6)
Cyclingnews Interview
- Rochelle Gilmore - Road scholar (December 6)
Tales from the Peloton
- 12 Hours of Oleta - MTB endurance race in Miami (December 6)
Tales from the Peloton
- Tony Cruz - back to his roots (December 7)
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
- Headsets, Pegoretti, Carbon cage, gloves & tubes (December 10)
Tech news - Navigators
power-tap, Headsets, Carbon cages (December 7)
Tech- Recycling
- How to protect your chainstay for free
Tech Reviews:
Egg Beater pedals; Park
Tool belt; Shimano shoes;
Speedplay
Breaking
the Chain - Dope planning and testing - From Willy Voet's book
| Home Search Survey Contact us |