News for December 7

Ferrari's stars to train in South Africa

Five of the riders whose training and preparation are supervised by the Italian Dr Ferrari are to take a four-week trip to South Africa starting 15 December were they will take part in a training programme organized by Ferrari. The five are Mapei's Abraham Olano, Tony Rominger and Gianluca Bortolami; Giorgio Furlan who rides for the new Rosloto-ZG team in 1996 and Mario Cipollini. Olano is expected to complete 2,500km to 2,800km during the four weeks.

Turin seeks to be world roads venue in 1999

The city of Turin in Italy has put in a bid to stage the world road championships in 1999. This would be associated with the centenary of the city's FIAT auto works and the inauguration of a museum of cycling carrying the name of Fausto Coppi somewhere in the Turin region (probably at Ovada or Tortona). Germanyy is the only candidate for the track championships in 1999.

Jan Bogaert retires

Belgian rider Jan Bogaert, who has figured in recent RBR discussions as one of the leading race winners -- he has had 114 victories since turning pro in 1980 -- is to retire. Bogaert, aged 38, won the Tour de l'Avenir prologues in 1978 and 1979 when an amateur and in recent years has specialised in criteriums, in which he amassed many of his victories.

Emonds record attempt

Belgian rider Nico Emonds was due to make his second attempt on the world hour record this afternoon (6 December) in Bordeaux. Emonds, who managed the seventh-best ride ever (and the best Belgian!) on 13 November with 51.801km, is realistic in not expecting to beat Tony Rominger's 55.291km but would like to get to get past 52km and if possible surpass Obree's 52.270km and Boardman's 52.713km.

Team news

Eddy Bouwmans (ex-Novell) has signed for the new Dutch team Foreldorado-Golf (other riders in the team include Veenstra, Talen, Meijs and Van den Akker). French amateur Cyrl Sabatier (ex VC Lyon-Vaulx-en-Velin) has signed a professional contract with Monaco-based team Aki.

Gianni Savio, who this year managed the ZG-Mobili team, has announced the composition of his new Selle Italia-Glacial team. There will be 20 Colombian riders (including Nelson Rodriguez, Henry Cardenas, Israel Ochoa and Angel Camargo), six Italians (including Roberto Caruso, ex-ZG; Nicola Miceli, ex-Carrera and Antonio Fanelli, ex Amore e Vita) and one Slovene (Walter Bonca, ex-ZG)

Mapei directeur-sportif Patrick Lefevere says a French rider will be recruited to the team in 1997, partly for commercial reasons and partly so Franck Vandenbroucke can benefit from the presence of another French-speaker in the team. Lefevere said he had a rider in mind but would not reveal his name.

Checklist of Principal Transfers in UCI Top 100

Fondriest (UCI position 13) -- from Lampre to Rosloto-ZG Sorensen (16) -- MG-Technogym to Rabobank Bartoli (17) -- Mercatone Uno to MG-Technogym Sciandri (20) -- MG-Technogym to Motorola Ugrumov (21) -- Gewiss-Ballan to Rosloto-ZG Colage (29) -- ZG to Refin D. Rebellin (31) -- MG-Technogym to Polti Furlan (33) -- Gewiss Ballan to Rosloto-ZG Abdoujaparov (38) -- Novell to Refin Cassani (39) -- MG-Technogym to Saeco Escartin (43) -- Mapei-GB to Kelme Riis (44) -- Gewiss-Ballan to Telekom Bruyneel (45) -- Once to Rabobank De Las Cuevas (60) -- Castorama to ? (as yet no new team) Breukink (64) -- Once to Rabobank Madouas (68) -- Castorama to Motorola Chiurato (73) -- Mapei-GB to Rosloto-ZG Durand (75) -- Castorama to Agrigel-La Creuse Simon (79) -- Castorama to Gan Magnien (81) -- Castorama to Festina Jaskula (83) -- Aki to Brescialat Leblanc (84) -- Le Groupement to Polti Wust (89) -- Le Groupement to Castellblanch Vanzella (96) -- MG-Technogym to Motorola

Other notable transfers

Mejia -- Motorola to ? (as yet no new team) Steels -- Vlaanderen 2002 to Mapei-GB Di Basco -- Amore e Vita to Saeco Garmendia -- Banesto to Once Gontchenkov -- Lampre to Rosloto-ZG Kozlitine -- Le Groupement to Lotto Nelson Rodriguez -- ZG to Glacial-Selle Italia P De Clercq -- Lotto to Collstrop Ferrigato -- ZG to Rosloto-ZG Podenzana -- Brescialat to Giupponi's team Van der Poel -- Collstrop to Rabobank Saitov -- Artiach to Refin M de Clercq -- Lotto to Collstrop Capiot -- Refin to Collstrop Veenstra -- Motorola to Foreldorado-Golff Copolillo -- Navigare to Rosloto-ZG Talen -- Merctaone Uno to Foreldorado-Golff Zarrabeitia -- Banesto to ONce Rodrigues -- Artiach to Banesto Camargo -- Kelme to Glacial-Selle Italia Caruso -- ZG to Glacial-Selle Italia Vermote -- Le Groupement to Agrigel-La Creuse Garcia Casas -- Artiach to Festina Lafis -- Amore e Vita to Telekom

Notes:

Teams that will disappear: Castorama, Chazal, Le Groupement, Mercatone Uno, Novell, TVM, ZG-Mobli, Navigare-Blue Storm, Artiach New teams: Agrigel-La Creuse, new team of Vincent Lavenu (successor to Chazal-MBK-Konig), ForceSud (still to be formalized), Rosloto-ZG, Scrigno-Blue Storm, Cantina Tollo-COBO, team to be organised by Marino Basso, team of Giupponi, Polis-Direct (successor to TVM), Rabobank (Jan Raas's new team), Foreldorado-Golff, Glacial-Selle Italia, Saeco (successor to Mercatone Uno-Saeco)