|
|
|
Santiago Blanco (iBanesto.com, 1st stage)
 |
"It wasn't as good as they said at the beginning, and it wasn't as bad as they said later. I have obtained the most important triumph of my career."
Like Jose Maria Jimenez before him, Blanco also dedicated the stage win to the recently deceased mother of the iBanesto.com team director Manolo Aizkorreta. "She was like a mother to us and treated all of us as if we were her children."
Santi Blanco commented on Jose Miguel Echavarri's historic (and wrong) statement: "The Tour of 2000 will be all Blanco."
"That phrase neither benefited me nor hurt me because of the pressure I was under. Much was expected of me, and I have not done anything. I needed luck, but I believe that I can go higher."
"Today I was good and I attacked to win. I gained morale when I knew of the time gap, and at no time I thought that they were going to catch me."
Jose Maria Jimenez (iBanesto.com, 4th stage)
"My derailleur broke on a corner, but I came back without problems. There were a lot of breaks, but the stage was controlled."
"We will go to sleep now and we are looking forward to the stage tomorrow. Today it couldn't have been better, we started with a plan which worked, the team is well and that's the main thing."
Stage 10
- Live Report
Stage 10 - Full
results and report
There were a total of seven non-starters and non-finishers in today's 10th stage of the Vuelta, including three from the Italian Alessio squad, which is now just down to four men. Dual Giro d'Italia winner Ivan Gotti didn't start, due to his wife being sick in Montecarlo. He was lying in 87th position at 32'31 from the leader, and wasn't looking to do great things in the mountains.
The other non-starter was Domo's Steve de Wolf, whose wife just gave birth to twins. Non-finishers included Davide Casarotto and Martin Hvastija (Alessio), Miguel Angel Martin Perdiguero (Cantina Tollo), Igor Astarloa (Mercatone Uno) and Dario Pieri (Saeco).
There are now 170 riders left in the Vuelta, from 189 starters.
Stage 11 from Alp to Andorra (154.2 km) is considered the 'Queen Stage' of this year's Vuelta. It contains six climbs: two category 2, three category 1 and one special category climb, and it was clear today that many were saving their legs for tomorrow.
The first major difficulty begins at kilometre 38 with the cat. 1 Font Romeau, a 16 kilometre climb. The highest point of the Vuelta, Puerto d'Envalira (2,410m, 'Cima Alberto Fernández') is next and has its summit at kilometre 105. The Col d'Ordino follows at kilometre 131, before the final climb to the ski station of Pal (Andorra). This is an 11 kilometre ascent with grades between 4 and 8.6 percent. The last winner here was Jose Maria Jimenez in 1998, and he could certainly to it again.
The director of Relax-Fuenlabrada, José María Pérez, has put a few people's noses out of joint with some comments about the validity of the 1995 World Championships in Colombia, won by ONCE's Abraham Olano. On a tough circuit and a wet day in Duitama, Olano attacked to win the race alone in front of his teammate Miguel Indurain, with Marco Pantani taking third.
José María Pérez was quoted recently on Cadena SER radio as saying that it was "a shame that a rider won a World Championship with a 61 percent hematocrit level. Now he is only allowed 50 and Olano not only can't climb any more, he also can't do well against the clock."
He also said that ONCE's 'pharmaceutical' budget was 450 million pesetas (2.7 million Euro) compared with Fuenlabrada's 2 million pesetas (12,000 Euro). "When anyone from our team buys aspirin, ONCE can afford 15 times more."
This raised a furore in the Vuelta, where Pérez was accused of trying to destabilise the ONCE team. He later clarified his comments: "Perhaps I did not express what I meant well. Of some things I am sorry, mainly because I didn't want to give names." Also, he was sorry for creating a tense situation in the Vuelta Espańa which "can be detrimental for my riders."
"The only thing that I wanted to express was that cycling, thank God, is changing. About the shame of Olano, I do not know if I said that," added Pérez.
ONCE's manager Pablo Antón realised that Pérez' comments put the legality of Olano's 1995 world title in question, but there is "nothing pending" yet.
"In cycling we have spoken a lot, but not so much recently...This is trying to soil the palmares of a rider. It is not elegant. He has given names and numbers. It seems that he has an audit...It hurts me on behalf of the rider because he is a person who does his work with dignity."
iBanesto director Jose Miguel Echavarri, who Olano rode for in 1995, said that "I couldn't say what my riders' hematocrit levels were; that's something for the doctors. When they were with us, Olano and Zülle performed normally, in line with their past performance; Olano's and Zülle's qualities aren't up for discussion.
"The only one they caught was Pantani, the rest is just speculation. It is necessary to be careful when things like this are said, since some of these declarations are going to cause a lot of damage."
Today, José María Pérez' brother Maximino Pérez (manager of Relax-Fuenlabrada) asked ONCE's Manolo Saiz for his pardon, saying that he did not endorse Jose Maria's comments.
"I ask for the pardons of the directors and esteemed riders like Abraham," said Maximino, who added that Jose Maria Perez "is paying for his verbal excess and is sitting in his hotel depressed. He will not follow the 10th stage."
The Italian madison team for the World Championships in Antwerp will not contain former Olympic and four time World Champion Silvio Martinello. The 38 year old veteran of Six Day racing has been overlooked for Ivan Quaranta, who is known for his road sprinting skills and has done quite a bit of track racing.
Six Swiss track riders have been named for Antwerp, with surprise pair for the madison. Instead of successful Six Day pair Bruno Risi and Kurt Betschart, the combination of Franco Marvulli and Alexander Aeschbach will ride the madison. Risi will instead contest the points race, and Marvulli will also ride the individual pursuit. The other three riders are Michael Lato (1,000m TT), Martial Heer (Keirin) and Philipp Michel, who will ride with the other two in the Olympic Sprint.
Belgian favourite and Collstrop 'stagiaire' Peter van Petegem is being courted by the two biggest Belgian squads for next season: Lotto-Adecco and Domo-Farm Frites. Lotto's Christophe Sercu has started negotiations with the East Flandrian, calling them "Constructive and open...Van Petegem would be a perfect fit in our team. I don't know if he can earn much more elsewhere, but I must work with the means that I have. It's now up to Peter himself."
Domo's Patrick Lefevere has also mentioned Van Petegem's name for his squad next year. "It's between Peter or Leon Van Bon," he said on Sunday. "I don't have the budget for both of them. I have had a preliminary conversation with Van Petegem, but have gotten further with the Dutchman."
Team Coast has also offered PVP a two year contract, but he has indicated that he wants to be in a Belgian based classics team.
Dario Frigo, the former Fassa Bortolo star who was sacked from his team after admitting possession of prohibited blood boosters in the Giro d'Italia, will race again next season. The fallen angel of Italian cycling has signed a contract with Davide Boifava's Tacconi Sport-Vini Caldirola team for 2002, and hopes to start his career again on the right path. Frigo will give a press conference tomorrow in Milan's international motorcycle and bicycle show, with Davide Boifava and directors Vittorio Algeri and Enrico Maggioni.
Euskaltel-Euskadi's Txema del Olmo, who was controlled "non-negative" for EPO at the Tour de France will sign a contract with Relax Fuenlabrada for next season. According to Euskaltel team management, Del Olmo was sacked from the team after pressure from the organisers of the Tour de France, who threatened to refuse the Basque team an invite next year if Del Olmo was on the roster.
In similar conditions to his teammate Max van Heeswijk, Domo-Farm Frites' Koos Moerenhout has had to finish his season early due to an achilles injury. Moerenhout pulled out of the Ronde van Nederland at the beginning of the month, and hasn't raced since. He missed the Vuelta and says that he can only ride for 30 minutes to an hour at the moment. It is very unlikely that he'll go to the World's.
La Francaise des Jeux' team doctor Jean-Pierre Guillaume has been suspended by the Court of Arbitration for Sport as a result of the Emmanuel Magnien affair. The recent winner of Paris-Brussels tested positive to corticosteroids a few days before the Olympic Games last year, and was not allowed to go as part of the French team.
Magnien appealed to the CAS in Lausanne, saying that it was the team doctor's responsibility, as he was the one who had injected him intra-muscularly rather than intra-articularly (the latter is permitted). The CAS found Dr Guillaume guilty and suspended him for three months.
Jan Ullrich will continue his preparation for the World Championships in Lisbon with the five day International Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfahrt in Germany. Ullrich said that he wants to win the World Championships, and is looking for a big win to add to his eight victories this season. The parcours in Rheinland is perfectly suited to Ullrich's abilities, and several stages will be useful as dry runs (more likely wet) for the World's.
His teammate Udo Bölts commented that "I think that he will ride for the victory in Rheinland-Pfalz. Jan is in excellent form. I believe that the weather, predicted to be raining and cold, will not stop him. He is in such good condition that he will ride through it."
The race does not contain a time trial, and each stage is very hilly. Besides Ullrich, who will be supported by Bölts, Vinokourov, Klöden, Wesemann, Kessler, Grabsch and Hiekmann, others to watch for include Rabobank's Erik Dekker, Marc Wauters (winner last year), Scott Sunderland (Fakta), and riders from German teams Nürnberger and Gerolsteiner.
Rabobank, Lotto-Adecco, CSC-Tiscali, Mapei-Quick Step, Team Coast, Telekom, Team Fakta, Gerolsteiner, Phonak, Post Swiss Team, Team Cologne, Team Nürnberger, German National Team, Rheinland-Pfalz Team
A select field will take part in this Saturday's 65th edition of the Grand Prix des Nations time trial, the last important test against the clock before the World Championships in October. The race was first held in 1932, and with the exception of 1939-1940 and 1995, it has been held every year. In 1941 and 1942 it was split into northern and southern divisions, while from 1990-1993 it formed the final round of the World Cup.
Five time Tour de France winner Jacques Anquetil won the GPN nine times between 1953 and 1966, and his record is unlikely to be beaten. The longest edition of the race was 146 kilometres (1938) won by Louis Aimar whereas the shortest was 70 kilometres, when Chris Boardman won it in 1996. Last year's winner Lance Armstrong set the fastest average speed at 49.404 km/h, but Anquetil's 1965 record of 47.669 km/h over 75 kilometres took nearly 30 years to beat.
This year there are UCI classed events for Juniors, U23 Men, Elite Women, and Elite Men on the program, as well as a cyclotourist's event. The men will ride 74 kilometres while the rest will do 37 kilometres.
The men's field has 27 riders, including Laurent Jalabert (CSC), Jonathan Vaughters and Jens Voigt (Credit Agricole), Christophe Moreau and Florent Brard (Festina), Brad McGee (FdJ), Ravis Belohvosciks (Lampre), Laszlo Bodrogi and Evgueni Petrov (Mapei), Jan Hruska (ONCE), Nico Mattan (Cofidis), Michael Rich (Gerolsteiner) and British TT kings Michael Hutchinson and Stuart Dangerfield.
16 women will line up, including last year's winner Hanka Kupfernagel, recently crowned World Cup champion Anna Millward, New Zealander Kirsty Robb (Bik-Toscany Sport), Lyne Bessette (Canada) and former Australian TT champion Kristy Scrymgeour (Saturn).
After a year's hiatus, the Firenze-Pistoia time trial will return on October 27, one of the oldest races on the calendar (firsts run in 1870). The race will be dedicated to recently deceased Italian cycling commentator, Adriano de Zan, and will start in Capalle (near Firenze) and finish in Pistoia after 35 kilometres.
By Kathleen Carter*
A year ago we lost Nicole Reinhart. It still brings tears to my eyes to know her wonderful smile is gone, but I am thankful for the short time it brightened our cycling world. We can all remember the special times we spent with her ... and we are better for it. My thoughts and prayers go to her family, as they do to this great nation in this time of mourning.
May we each strive to make this world a better place in honor of Nicole.
*Mrs Carter is a "cyclist's mom" from Redlands, California. Cyclingews has a special tribute to the US cyclist, tragically killed while racing on September 17, 2000.
Lots more fantastic photos have been added to the Latest Photos page, have a look; no matter your cycling discipline, there are some great shots here!
Major Races and Events
September 7-29, 2002: Vuelta
a Espańa (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 Cittŕ 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 |