News for April 28, 1997


Nicola Panzeri

Nicola Panzeri (aged 26 from the Scrigno-Gaerne team) died after a motor accidentnear his home in Lecco in the North of Italy on Saturday night. He car collided with anothe car. His passenger was injured also. Panzerie became a professional rider in 1996 and would have started in the Giro this year.

Mountainbike World Cup, St Wendel (Germany)

 1. Thomas Frischknecht
 2. Cadel Evans (Australia)		0.02
 3. Depouey
37. Bart Brentjens

Overall Standings - World Cup

 1. Evans 		268 points
 2. Chiotti 		230
32. Brentjens

Interview with John Talen

John Talen is still waiting for his salary from Mercatone Uno. In the Amsterdam daily paper Het Parool John Talen was interviewed. In 1993 Mario Cipollini asked him to come over to Mercatone Uno. Talen was there for two years.

"Next Tuesday I will hear in court about my six months of salary plus interest in the period of 1995. My lawyer says I will win."

Talen learned a lot in Italy with Mercato Uno.

"They are paying a lot in cash and never on time. Once you have to wait a month; but sometimes three months. Then they gave you a packet with bank notes. You have to know that the biggest banknote in Italy is not worth very much. I had arranged in my contract that they should pay me by bank and in Belgium francs (because i lived there). And only on a legal basis, so no black money.

What is the problem there? Manager Gini; he is a big liar and everybody has had troubles with him over money. It not strange that he has been in jail before for three months. Mercatone Uno started to pay directly; but Gini had a lot of riders under personal contract. So the situation is still the same for many riders. Especially in the Saeco-team at the moment. Gini is still the spider in the web.

I'm glad that my mates like Eros Poli and Silvio Martinello testified for me in court. Because I'm still owed a lot of money".

The Joy of the Danes - and a great web site to boot!

Kim from Denmark wrote to me after the Amstel Race.

"What a magnificent ride by Bjarne Riis?

Well, coming from Denmark myself, I can only look back at the 5 spring classics we've seen so far, and note that 40% of them are won by a danish rider...And we're only about 5million people in our little country.

But don't worry Bill, we won't take the Giro!"

Kim also keeps a great WWW site - the 1997 Tour de France Guide which is here

Rabobank Voorjaars Race - Women, April 26

Start & Finish: Heerenveen

Distance: 80 km

 1. Marielle van Scheppingen		Uithoorn
 2. Karin Leine				Alkmaar
 3. Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel	Rotterdam
 4. Nicole Vemast			Amstelveen
 5. Sissy van Alebeek			Schijndel
 6. Marion van de Bosch-van Zuylen	Zijderveld
 7. Margaretha Groen			Nieuw Lekkerland
 8. Wendy Kramp				Klaaswaal
 9. Inge Velthuis			Wageningen
10. Eugenie van de Linden		Noordwijkerhout 

PWZ Zuidenveld Tour, April 26

Start & Finish: Nieuw Amsterdam

Distance: 170 km

A Leading group of 11 with 6 riders off the Giant-Lowik-P&O. In the final kilometers Sander Olijve, Rudie Kemna and Martin van Steen got away.

 1 Sander Olijve, Giant-Lowik-P&O		3.55.17
 2 Rudie Kemna,	Giant-Lowik-P&O			3.55.26
 3 Martin van Steen, De Jonge Renner		3.55.29
 4 Anthony Theus, Giant-Lowik-P&O		3.56.18
 5 Herman Fledderus, WSV EMMEN		
 6 Martijn Lust, De Jonge Renner		
 7 Erwin Kistemaker, Rooftop-RMH
 8 Rob Froeling, Giant-Lowik-P&O
 9 Bjorn Vonk, Giant Lowik-P&O
10 Arjen Vinke, Giant-Lowik-P&O

Mt.Pleasant Graded Scratch Races, Adelaide

A Grade: 5 laps of the course

 G. Davis
 A. Gill
 N. Ragless
 T. Rolton
 R. Van Hout

B Grade: 5 laps of the course

 A. Rice
 D. Ross
 D. Ekert
 G. Bates
 J. Florence

C Grade: 4 laps

 P. Winter
 N. Shipp
 R. Merrison
 M. Holmes
 P. Chan

D Grade: 3 laps

 D. Murnane
 A. Hoare
 D. Cramp
 J. Walker
 S. Barberi

U17: 

 S. Murnane
 M. Crawford
 A. Grogan