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"The truth is that today is a special day for me. This is something I have dreamed off since I was small, for all my life and not just since I began the Vuelta. It is very important to come home wearing the gold. My next dream is to retain the leadership to the finish in Madrid."
"Again I must thank my team for their work. Because of them I have more and more desire to fight and to suffer."
"We saw the move by US Postal. We were ahead. Botero reacted very quickly and soon we joined the men of US Postal. We have a great, very united team. It's the best team in the world."
Angel Casero (Festina, 2nd GC)
The attack by US Postal did not come as a surprise. They have been looking for a chance for the last few days and in Albacete it is necessary to be wary because stages like today's are customary."
"There were more Kelme riders in the front group, but from Festina there was only me. It is clear that Kelme is defending the leadership and people have respect for that and they open the way for it."
Roberto Heras (US Postal, 3rd GC)
"Doing well in splits is as much a question of using your head as it is of using your legs. Today, the whole team had radio contact with the director and we were well-coordinated. But this is just the beginning, now I want to win on Abantos on Saturday."
"Yesterday we gained a little time, and the same today. It has been worth the effort. The team has done sensational work. We discussed the stage this morning. We knew that the wind was going to come from our flank and we took advantage of it."
"I have the will now, and it is necessary to be ambitious and try to do something in Abantos. The time trial I not my area and they will put time into me,but when your body won't go, there is nothing you can do. Now I am recovered and well. I do not have any pain; I am like new."
Juan Mercado (iBanesto.com, 4th GC)
"It is going to be hard.It was already complicated but now it's evenmore so. My aim now is to finish in the top five. The team has had a great Vuelta. In general I am happy with everything I have done, although today was a bad day for me. I will keep trying to the very end."
Juan Jimenez (iBanesto,com, 1st, mountains & points classifications)
"We have a chance left at Abantos and it was necessary not to take risks now. I have to recover for Abantos. It is a stage I like a lot."
"Mercado still has a chance to be on the podium. Today he lost a little time, but just as it happened to him today it could happen to someone else tomorrow."
Johan Bruyneel (US Postal directeur sportif)
"The plan was to attack with the team at the front with 50 kilometers to go and try and split the peloton, but because it was not so windy at that moment, we had to wait. We know the course well from years ago and we thought we would give it a try because of the usual cross winds. All the teams know that; it normally happens every year at the Tour of Spain on this stage. But when we came to the point where it normally starts, it was not so windy, so everybody calmed down and thought nothing would happen for the rest of the stage; they relaxed."
"Then I began to listen to the other directors on the television coverage and noticed they all believed the attack would not come. Everybody started to live with the idea that Telekom would keep controlling the race until the finish. Even though it was not so windy, I still thought it was windy enough. Then I saw it was the ideal moment to try it with 40 kilometres remaining."
"Once we started it again and I could see who was there and who was not there, everybody joined in, including Roberto, Levi and Chechu."
"While our entire team did a great job, special mention must be said for Julian Dean. He was dead sick yesterday and almost didn't make it (to the finish). And today, he was one of our strongest guys. Plus, among the remaining riders in the lead group, he had a good chance of winning the stage. Instead, he completely sacrificed himself for the good of the team. He rode like a true professional."
"I think we have a definite chance to be on the podium. Saturday will be a hard stage but I am confident both Roberto and Levi can take some time out of Mercado there. But this was a gain of time that we didn't plan on and is definitely good for the confidence. It also keeps the team going for the next couple of days."
Eusebio Unzue (iBanesto.com directeur sportif)
"Mercado is tired, I never really believed in his third place overall. It wasn't a mistake, he was too exhausted to continue fighting."
Stage 17 - Full results & report
After demonstrating his ability as a sprinter by winning yesterday's stage of the Vuelta without the benefit of a lead out, Lampre's Robert Hunter announced he will be joining Mapei in 2002.
"Lampre has not helped me in the sprints," said Hunter. "I have always had to work for Sobrada. In Mapei the support is good and they have said they will work for me in the finishes."
Hunter is not afraid of the level of competition he will be riding in the team of Oscar Friere. "I go well in the Northern Classics and Friere will ride others like Liege-Bastogne-Liege. In additon, there will be a large enough team to help everyone. One day we can work for one rider, and another on another day, depending who is going well."
Marty Nothstein has decided not to participate in this year's World Championships due to the recent tragedies in the US, according to a press release from his management.
"It wasn't the flying that I was concerned about," said the three-time world champion. "It's the possibility of getting stuck over there if something did happen which worried me. I think it's safer to fly than ever before, but I was nervous that the US would go to war and that I would be stuck over there away from my family."
For this year's championships, Nothstein was entered in the kilometer and Kierin - not the match sprints for which he won the United States' only gold medal in cycling at the 2000 Olympics.
"It's disappointing not being able to attend, " said Nothstein. "I was looking forward to giving the kilo a try at the top level. However, safety is more important than any championships and I feel it's best to stay home."
Instead of racing in Belgium, Nothstein will continue to race the road circuit in the US and is looking to participate in the European six-days in the Winter.
It has been confirmed that Michele Bartoli, dismissed from Mapei at the beginning of the week, will ride for Fassa Bartolo from today. The transfer has the agreement of both teams and the Italian Cycling Federation, and will allow Bartoli to finish the season. According to a press release from Fassa Bortolo, Bartoli will ride the Giro dell'Emilia, Milano-Vignola, Giro della Provincia di Lucca, Paris-Tours, Milano Torino, Giro del Piemonte, and Giro di Lombardia.
Juan Antonio Flecha (Colchon-Relax) will spend the next three years with iBanesto.com, according to sources close to the rider. The management of Colchom-Relax, Jose Maria and Maximino Perez, have not impeded Flecha's departure, because they do not want to limit his career and because of the good relations that exist between the two teams
Snorrason stagaire - Australian rider Kristjan "Snozza" Snorrason has a stagaire place with Selle Italia Pacific.
Geert Van Bondt will leave the Mercury team to join CSC-Tiscali
Santiago Perez Fernandez (Barbot-Torié) has reached a verbal agreement with Kelme. He was previously linked to Relax-Fuenlabrada.
Kelme has renewed its contracts with all the riders currently taking part in the Vuelta.
Ramon Gonzalez Arrieta (Euskaltel) is putting his career on hold for a while to help his wife with hers. Arrieta is married to Grand Boucle Feminine winner Joane Somarriba.
Tacconi Sport-Vini Caldirola has announced its complete team for 2002. The roster is:
Dario Frigo (Ita)
Gabriele Balducci (Ita)
Ruggero Borghi (Ita)
Gianluca Bortolami (Ita)
Paolo Bossoni (Ita)
Patrick Calcagni (Swi)
Massimo Donati (Ita)
Diego Ferrari (Ita)
Dmitri Gainitdinov (Rus)
Mauro Gerosa (Ita)
Marco Gili (Ita)
Andrej Hauptmann (Slo)
Zoran Klemencic (Slo)
Peter Luttenberger (Aut)
Eddy Mazzoleni (Ita)
Nicola Minali (Ita)
Mauro Radaelli (Ita)
Gianluca Sironi (Ita)
Sylvester Szmyd (Pol)
Pietro Zucconi (Swi)
Stefan Rütimann (Swi) may also join the team when his suspension ends next year.
Leaving the team are: Massimo Apollonio (Ita), Nicola Chesini (Ita), Giuseppe Di Grande (Ita), David George (Rsa), Sandro Giacomelli (Ita), and Moreno Pezze (Ita)
Gerhard Trampusch will leave Telekom for a two-year contract with Mapei-Quick Step.
Igor Asterloa Askasibar (Mercatone) will ride for Saeco next year.
César Solaun Solana (iBanesto.com) is going to Euskaltel-Euskadi
Alberto Benito Guerrero is leaving iBanesto.com, destination unknown.
Piotr Przydzial has extended his contract with CCC-Mat for one more year, despite a serious offer from Alessio. CCC wants to be in Division I next year (top-30) so they not only need to keep their current best riders such as: Sosenka, Przydzial and Romanik but also have plans to sign some Spanish or Italian riders.
Thanks to www.cycling4all.com for much of this transfer news
USA Cycling has announced its 2001 National Cyclo-cross Championships will take place December 14-16 in Baltimore, Md.
"New England is a hotbed for cyclo-cross in America, so Baltimore seemed a natural fit for this year's nationals," said USCF National Events Director Tara Morris. "US cyclo-cross has grown in the last few years, taking on more fans and racers each season. We look forward to this year's event and organizing a race for everyone to enjoy."
The final round of the 2001 SuperCup Series will be held at the Baltimore venue the same weekend as the national championships. SuperCup Series founder Lyle Fulkerson is responsible for organizing this year's nationals.
The Italian region of Piedmont has announced its candidacy as the host of the 2004 world road race championships. The organising committee says it belives the geography, infrastructure and cycling tradition of the area makes it anideal candidate.
The first edition of this women's tour runs from October 3 to 7 next week, and will provide the last chance for riders to test or fine-tune their form before the world championships. About 60 riders are expected to start, including the national teams of Canada, Germany, Norway, Russia and Switzerland.
The race is promoted by the Team France organisation which already runs the Grand Boucle Féminine. Director general Pierre Boué said "It is our ambition to quickly become one of the three major races in the world.
Next year's edition is already planned for May 7-12, 2002.
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
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