News for August 12, 1997

Rolf's Diary Update

Pisa, 5 August

So my morale crisis from last week is finished. I got back on the bike and I have again training morale! Last Sunday at the Tour of Wartenberg (Wartenbergrundfahrt) in Basel I made a sad impression, but even so I finished and after one lap I lost 13 minutes. I was content in spite of this and yesterday I trained 200km, flat and slow. Now I've arrived in Italy, where I'll contest the race GP Camaiore. If I can finish that will be a success, the race is really hard.

Zihlschlacht, 8 August

I actually had to abandon the race, but I still have morale. I'm training again an intensive level and am very motivated for the next race. I hope I can ride in the Vuelta ŕ Espańa, but I have to be selected first for the team. My next entry is in the World Cup race in England, there I should already be able to show myself.

Zihlschlacht, 10 August

Finally I can train again with Alex Zülle. He's again training on the road and not on rollers. Unfortunately he's only riding between three and four hours, so if I want to go longer, I still have to go alone. And this week I've done 870km. I'm looking forward to next Sunday where I can race, the World Cup in England.

Translated by David Wear dwear@hotmail.com

Panamarican Cycling Championships 1997

Sunday, August 10 was the last day of Panamarican Cycling Championships 1097, that were staged at Cali, Colombia. Participating were the national teams of Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, United States, Trinidad-Tobago, Guatemala, Uruguay, Cuba, Chile, Brazil, Canada and Peru. 

Elite Time Trial (40 km)

 1. Duban Ramirez  (COL)	49.55
 2. Javier Zapata Villada (COL)	50.40
 3. Eddie Albin Tabares (CUB) 	51.00
 4. Ruben Pegorin (ARG)		51.29
 5. Aldrin Salamanca (VEN) 	51.34
 6. Do.go Gonzalez (MEX) 	52.48

Under-23 Time Trial (40 km)

 1. Ivan Parra (COL) 		50.20
 2. Guillermo Bruneta (ARG)  	50.41
 3. Marlon Perez (COL)		50.53
 4. Norman Carter (EUA)		52.02
 5. Pedro Pablo Perez (CUB) 	52.16
 6. Miguel Angel Quintral (CHI) 53.13

Elite Road Race (192 km)

 1. Eduardo Uribe (MEX)	    4.12.12
 2. Marcio May (BRA)		s.t.
 3. Manuel Guevara (GUA) 	s.t. 

Under-23 Road Race (168 km)

 1. Marlon Perez (COL)	     3.31.30
 2. Pedro Pablo Perez (CUB) 	0.01
 3. Hernán Bonilla (COL) 	0.22

Women Road Race (84 km)

 1. Julien Rodriguez (CUB)   1.49.25
 2. Belén Guerrero (MEX)	1.21
 3. Hernan Bonilla (COL)	3.36

Women Time-Trial (20 km)

 1. Maureen Kaila-Vergara (EUA)  26.58
 2. Dania Perez (CUB)  		27.00
 3. Julier Rodriguez (CUB) 	27.53
 4. Ryan Kelly (EUA) 		27.59
 5. Debora Colman (ARG) 	28.11
 6. Belén Guerrero (MEX) 	28.35

Kindly received from my Brazilian correspondent Rodrigo Gini Madeira.

Banesto give 5 the flick

Banesto has told Vicente Aparicio, Jose Ramon Uriarte, Ramon Gonzalez Arrieta, Prudencio Indurain & Carmelo Miranda that they won't be needed for next year and to start looking for new teams if they want to remain active. One of the riders let go, Ramontxu Gonzalez Arrieta, showed his disappointment for the decision that was taken by his team. "What I don't like is that they said that we were too laid back. It is not true in my case. I have broken both of my collarbones in a month and a half, the second one when I was going well. I understand if I don't fit in the team's plan, but I don't accept the excuse that I was laying back, because that is not my way of being. The worst part is facing the rest of the season without motivation. La Vuelta? I doubt that I'll go, because there are two open positions and six aspiring", said the Banesto climber. The one that might take advantage of this is Javier Minguez (Vitalicio Seguros), who so far has signed a few Neo-Pros, also: Oliverio Rincon, David Garcia Marquina & Francisco Benitez.