|
|
|
 |
Erik Zabel won his first ever stage in the Vuelta España today, and he did so in a textbook fashion. He was superbly led out by his team for the final 30 kilometres or so, with no less than Danilo Hondo serving as the final springboard. Once Zabel got wound up, Oscar Freire and Robbie McEwen could do no more than follow him across the line.
"I preferred to rest to prepare for the Vuelta. The Vuelta is one of the three great tours and I cannot allow myself the luxury to prepare on other things," he said of his reduced program after the Tour de France. "I've come here simply to win stages."
On Oscar Freire: "He is one of the most talented cyclists because he is able to win a sprint and a classic. I could beat him because in the last kilometre the team worked very well and I knew the last metres were uphill."
Zabel has an enormous list of wins since he turned pro in 1993 - nearly 200 races in total.
Oscar Freire (Mapei, 2nd)
"There are many opportunities left, but it is necessary to take advantage of them. The sprint was very good but I had to fight from 400 metres out and I could not win. I am disappointed because an opportunity has gone, but Zabel was the favourite, the one that has the most wins."
"They [Telekom] were stronger, my team was good but Telekom was stronger. I think that there are stages left, today I wasn't able."
"It was a nervous stage and I have at least been able to contest it, but not to win."
"I knew the finish, but things change in a race. I was not able to hold Zabel's wheel and I couldn't recover."
Juan Carlos Dominguez (16th, iBanesto.com)
"At 32 years old I am less explosive, when I started as a professional I was quicker, now I climb better but I am not as fast. In the finale I need the power of the sprinters in the final metres, I got to the finish today perfectly, but I could not do anything."
"It was a quiet stage today, with the headwind you get tired in the arms as well as the legs."
José María Jiménez (56th, ibanesto.com)
"We'll see if I am good for Lagos de Covadonga (stage 5), today the sensations were bit uncomfortable, I need to have a good day to see that I am feeling OK."
"It was very quiet [today] because of the headwind, if it had blown across us the battle would have started. The end was hard, the last kilometre was very demanding."
Stage 2 - Full results and report
Enrique Franco, the director of Vuelta España organisers Unipublic has responded strongly to remarks by USPS directeur sportif Johan Buyneel critical of the Spanish Grand Tour.
"If he thinks the Vuelta only interests Spaniards, the doors are open," said Franco. "He can leave immediately to take part in a race that matters to his employers."
Asked about the absence of Jan Ullrich, Franco said, "Last year, Ullrich's abandonment was not felt by the fans. If he had come to the Vuelta to ride it like he did the Giro, I'd prefer that he stay at home. We're only missing Armstrong."
Unlike most stage races, this year's edition of the Vuelta will not give time bonuses to riders for high positions in each stage. Last year, the Vuelta organisers surveyed the riders and one of the conclusions from the poll was that riders felt the bonuses distorted the race.
Marcos Serrano (ONCE), who limped into the finish of stage one on Saturday seven minutes adrift after a serious crash, has confirmed that he sustained a broken collarbone, and not the muscle tear he initially thought. "I had an intuition that I had broken the collarbone, but I didn't know what that felt like," he said. Serrano was treated on Saturday evening, but did not start Sunday's second stage.
After the GP Eddy Merckx today, national coach José De Cauwer made his first team selection for the World Championships in Lisbon. With an excellent ride to win that particular event with Erik Dekker, Marc Wauters (Rabobank) found himself in the 24 member elite men's road team, which will be reduced to 12 riders on September 25.
A glance at the first few names in the team shows that 10 of them are from Lotto-Adecco, the number one Belgian team this season. It's quite likely that this proportion will be kept for the final selection, with riders like Mario Aerts, Serge Baguet, Christophe Brandt, Andrei Tchmil and Rik Verbrugghe all fairly strong choices. Domo's dual World Champion Johan Museeuw is also in there, and he is hoping that De Cauwer will pick him for Lisbon. Nico Mattan (Cofidis) should be a certainty, and Axel Merckx, Chris Peers, and Peter van Petegem all have good chances to make the final team.
Elite Men
Road Race (12 places)
Mario Aerts (Lotto-Adecco)
Serge Baguet (Lotto-Adecco)
Christophe Brandt (Lotto-Adecco)
Glenn D'Hollander (Lotto-Adecco)
Andrei Tchmil (Lotto-Adecco)
Kurt Van de Wouwer (Lotto-Adecco)
Rik Verbrugghe (Lotto-Adecco)
Stive Vermaut (Lotto-Adecco)
Thierry Marichal (Lotto-Adecco)
Nico Eeckhout (Lotto-Adecco)
Dave Bruylandts (Domo-Farm Frites)
Steven Kleynen (Domo-Farm Frites)
Axel Merckx (Domo-Farm Frites)
Johan Museeuw (Domo-Farm Frites)
Peter Farazijn (Cofidis)
Nico Mattan (Cofidis)
Chris Peers (Cofidis)
Geert Verheyen (Rabobank)
Marc Wauters (Rabobank)
Björn Leukemans (Vlaanderen-T-Interim)
Tom Stremersch (Vlaanderen-T-Interim)
Ludo Dierckxsens (Lampre-Daikin)
Peter Van Petegem (Mercury)
Kevin Hulsmans (Mapei-Quick Step)
Time Trial (2 places)
Leif Hoste (Domo-Farm Frites)
Bert Roesems (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago)
Glenn D'Hollander (Lotto-Adecco)
Rik Verbrugghe (Lotto-Adecco)
U23 Men
Road Race (5 places)
Tom Boonen
Stijn Devolder
Kevin De Weert
Philippe Gilbert
Jan Kuyckx
Ben Thaens
Jurgen Van Goolen
Frederik Willems
Time Trial
Jurgen Van Goolen
Kevin De Weert
Junior Men
Road Race (5 places)
Kristof De Beule
Dries Devenyns
Stijn Ennekens
Maxime Monfort
Sven Nevens
Jurgen Van den Broeck
Michale Van Poucke
Time Trial
Jurgen Van den Broeck
Olivier Kaisen
Elite Women
Road Race (6 places)
Corine Hierckens
Veerle Ingels
Anja Nobus
Cindy Pieters
Evy Van Damme
Nele Van den Bossche
Heidi Van de Vijver
Ine Wannijn
Laure Werner
Time Trial
Ine Wannijn
Junior Women
Road Race
Ludivine Henrion
Kathy Ingels
Sharon Vandromme
Time Trial
Kathy Ingels
Sharon Vandromme
Juan Antonio Flecha (Relax-Fuenlabrada) will join Jose Miguel Echavarri's iBanesto.com team next season, after receiving an offer he couldn't refuse, both on economic and sporting grounds. Although Fuenlabrada is very keen to keep him on, it seems highly probable that Flecha will transfer. Echavarri wants someone like him for the Spanish classics and tours, although iBanesto will reduce to 24 riders next year in order to satisfy the requirement of being a division I team.
Flecha previously rode for the young Banesto team.
The world mountain bike championships gets underway on Wednesday September 12 with the team relay world championships. This four-rider event is contested by a team consisting of an elite male, a junior male, an under 23 male and an elite woman cross-country racer.
After a day of downhill qualifying runs on Thursday, Friday sees the first of the more traditional events with the junior and under 23 cross country championships.
The senior events come at the weekend, kicking off with the downhill on Saturday and after the World Cup season we've had, the field is wide open. In the men, World Cup champion Greg Minnaar of South Africa is a strong favourite, but multiple world champion Nicolas Vouilloz (France) will be strongly motivated to hang on to his crown, and Australian Christopher Kovarik has been an unmistakable presence when visa hassles have actually allowed him to race this season. Then there are riders like Mickael Pascal (France), Cedric Gracia (France) and Fabien Barel (France), any one of whom could take the titles if they have a good day.
The women's downhill is less muddy. France's Anne-Caroline Chausson has dominated the World Cups this season, and looks likely to retain her world title. That said, Missy Giove has the home country advantage and the strong motivation to land one last win as her career enters it closing years.
Brian Lopes may be the closest the host country has to a certainty of a medal in these championships; he's clear favourite in the Dual after a strong World Cup season. Most likely to cause an upset is reigning champion Wade Bootes from Australia. In the women, it may also come down to a USA vs Australia contest: Leigh Donovan against Katrina Miller, though Anne-Caroline Chausson can never be underestimated when she turns her hand to Dual.
The championships closes with Sunday's cross-country, and the men's race will see Canada's Roland Green looking to cap off an awesome 2001 season with a world championship title. Green recently became the first Canadian to win the World Cup series, and almost casually picked up the NORBA XC and short track series along the way. Threats to Green come from Spain's Jose Hermida, 2000 champion Miguel Martinez of France and Australia's Cadel Evans; the latter two in particular will be looking for recompense for slightly disappointing seasons in which Green simply rolled over them.
The women's cross-country will lack reigning champion Marga Fullana who pulled out last week complaining of tiredness caused by a virus. Without Fullana it's hard to see a serious challenger to World Cup champion Barbara Blatter (Switzerland) though her Specialized team-mate Caroline Alexander has said the worlds is a major goal for her. Australian Mary Grigson has had a strong year on the NORBA circuit, winning the series, and local hero Alison Dunlap is reported to be in exceptional form.
Cyclingnews will be covering all of these races with as-soon-as-possible results and reports and live coverage of the downhill and cross-country.
Day 1 - September 12: Team relay
Day 2 - September 14: Junior & under 23 cross country
Day 3 - September 15: Downhill & Dual finals
Day 4 - September 16: Elite men & women cross country
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 |