News for December 21, 1996

Cyclo Cross from Spain

Italian rider Daniele Pontoni won with authority at the "XX Ziklo Kross Igorre", an international race contested today at the San Kristobal circuit a locality of Vizcaya. Pontoni ahead of Jiri Pospisil, Ondrej Lukes and Kamil Ausbuher, belgian Peter Willemsens and the Vizcayan David Seco, only riders together with the Italian, which finished the raced without being lapped.

 1. Daniele Pontoni (ITA-Elite)        	1h.02:30
 2. Jiri Pospisil (CHE-Elite)            at 1:35
 3. Ondrej Lukes (CHE-Elite)             at 2:12
 4. Kamil Ausbuher (CHE-Sub 23)          at 2:27
 5. Peter Willemsens (BEL-Elite)         at 2:51
 6. Davis Seco (ESP-Elite)               at 3:51
 7. Petr Novy (CHE-Sub 23)         one lap behind
 8. Haimar Zubeldia (ESP-Sub 23)         "

Someone thinks that Indurain should retire

Russian cyclist, Asiate Saitov, ex-rider of Team Kelme, feels that Miguel Indurain's retirement "would benefit the rest of the cyclist and teams, because they would start getting more attention from the media". "When Indurain won his first Tour, one team dissapeared, when he won the second, the same thing happened to another team and the same way every year. Now Indurain has five Tours and cycling has 5 teams less".

Saitov has probabaly been one of the Navarran's victims, since this year he has been forced to hang his bike because he couldn't find a team, he spent '96 with the Italian Refin Team. "Since Indurain reached cycling's peak, the rest have had to remain in the shadow. All the attention has concentrated on him and for many sponsors, this sport has stopped being affordable", affirmed Saitov.

De La Cuevas

Armand de Las Cuevas, who was second in the famous ITT at the 1992 Tour de France, where he arrived at three minutes from the winner Miguel Indurain has been signed once again by Banesto. De Las Cuevas, who became a professional in 1989 with this Spanish team remained with Banesto until 1993. After that he signed with Cyrille Guimard's Castorama where he spent two seasons, joining the small French team Petit Casino for 1996, with a dark future.

Armand de Las Cuevas, who before becoming a cycling tried another tough sport, being a boxer, has been considered one of the riders with the most class in the present peloton. But his character hasn't helped him, specially his extravagant behavior like his periodival dissaperances in mid-season. His last professional win was at the Trofeo Scalatore in 1995.

Even after all this Eusebio Unzue, Banesto's sport director has always liked him. His major victories have been: G.P. Des Nations, Clasica de San Sebastian, one Giro d'Italia stage, the French Championship, Paris-Camembert, Etoile de Besseges, Vuelta a Burgos and stages at la Vuelta a Asturias, Vuelta a Burgos, Tour of Romandie, Bicicleta Vasca and Paris-Nice.

Indurain and Olano

The annual cycling party organized by the newspaper, Marca for the last three years was held in Madrid recently and the two champions of the Spanish peloton, Abraham Olano and Miguel Indurain attended. The first with his status decided for '97 (riding with Banesto) while Indurain continues to keep the country expecting. It is one of the few ocassions where Miguel comes out in public, since the last few weeks he has preferred to stay at his house in Benidorm with his wife and son, where he has started riding softly.

ONCE bus burns

One of the two busses belonging to the ONCE cycling team, their newest, only three years old and valued at over 60 million pesetas, was burned on Sunday night where it was parked in Zizurkil. According to the firemen's report the bus was burnt to the ground because of a fire that was caused and provoked at around 11:15 PM. ONCE has two team busses, but this one was the best one, the most modern of the two and it was perfectly equipped to serve the cycling team. It had video, shower for up to six riders at the same time, a toilet, kitchen, laundry, coffe maker a large space for bicycles located at the bottom and a large living room with two leather sofas and a center table. Three TV screens, one right above the driver.

The firemen went to put out the fire, but were not able to figure out how it was started. The Basque police has started an investigation, but for now the best theory is that it was caused by a coctel Molotov. One of the first to reach the area was Australian rider Neil Stephens, who has been with the team since '92, and who resides in Oiartzun, very close to Zizurkil.

Olano gets the Marca Sprint Trophy

Abraham Olano will receive tonight the "Marca Sprint" trophee as the best Spanish rider in the 1996 season according to a count in the points earned in the Spanish races and some International races. Ex-World Champion Abraham Olano leads previous year winner Miguel Indurain and Fernando Escartin repeats his third place. Abraham Olano cemented his victory of the "Marca Sprint" Trophee with his third place at the Giro d'Italia, his good performance at the Tour, second place at the Olympic ITT and numerous places of honor in other races. This regularity was enough for Olano to break the lead of Miguel Indurain, even though he achieved eleven victories this year, amongst them: Olympic Gold, but he failed at the Tour and had to live with eleventh place.

Completing the list of awards:

* Manuel Fernandez Gines - Best Domestique (current national champ)
* Team ONCE - Best team
* Manuel Saiz (ONCE) - Best director
* Vuelta a Andalucia - Best organized race
* David Etxebarria (ONCE) - Season's revelation
* Equipo Porcelanatto - Best amateur team
* Eduardo Hernandez - Best amateur rider

Italians agree to blood tests

Italian cyclists meeting during the Assembly of the Association of Italian Cyclists (ACCPI), celebrated in Milano, have agreed on allowing blood tests and have decided to disassociate from the World Cyclist Union. The 55th Assembly of the ACCPI has had as one of the most important points the subject of dopage. "We are doing our part, now we want for the proper bodies to do their part. We are giving a great example of maturity, since we want to save our image, take any shadow of doubt about cyclists", has said Silvio Martinello. According to the gold medalist in track in "Atlanta'96", cyclists have made an "important show of humility" and are looking into rules to safeguard their health. "Now we need the International bodies to move on this".

Marco Cattaneo, president of the ACCPI, has been critical of riders Gianni Bugno and Maurizio Fondriest, who a few days ago had private meetings about dopage with the president of the UCI, Hein Verbruggen. The Italian cyclists have decided to separate from the International Cyclist Union (AICPRO), that's presided by Spaniard Jose Luis Laguia. This way the Italian cyclists want to form ASAP a new World Union that according to them, will represent the riders from all countries and will carry more weight on cycling's future decisions.

Carrera finishes with cycling

1996 is Carrera's last year as sponsor for Boifava's team which will be sponsored by Asics in 1997 - Carrera, an international brand of jeans and casual wear entered cycling in 1983, sponsoring Davide Boifava's team. Together with Inoxpran for the first two years, it remained the only team sponsor from 1985 to 1993. Then it has its name next to the Tassoni name. In 14 seasons of professional cycling, Carrera has accumulated over 500 victories. The Golden season was 1987 with 54 wins. Many champions have worn their colors: Battaglin, Visentini, Bontempi, Leali, Roche, Ghirotto, Zimmermann, Maechler, also Chiappucci, Sorensen, Abdujaparov and more recently Pantani and Luttenberger.

Here are some of the most important succeses: 2 Giri d'Italia (Visentini '86, Roche '87), 1 Tour de France (Roche '87), 1 Tour of Switzerland (Luttenberger '96), 1 World Championship (Roche '87), 2 Sanremo (Maechler '87, Chiappucci '91), 1 Liege-Bastogne-Liege (Sorensen '93), 3 Ghent-Wevelgem (Bontempi '84 and '86, Abdujaparov '91), 1 Paris-Bruselles (Bontempi '86), 1 Wincanton Classic (Ghirotto '92), 1 Italian Champion (Leali '87).

Other Italian team information

Today will be the first meeting for two Pro cycling teams: Roslotto-ZG Mobili, whose manager is Moreno Argentin and Aki-Safi whose director is Roberto Amadio. Roslotto-ZG Mobili will have for '97: Andrea Ferrigato, Marco Fincato, Alexander Gontchenkov and Piotr Ugrumov and will add Dimitri Konyshev and Vitali Kokorine. Next year, Aki-Safi will count on Stefano Faustini, Denis Zanette, Gianluca Sironi and Emiliano Murtas.

Echavarri think Miguel will go for more than One Year

"It is December 18th and at least, his attitude (Indurain) is different from other years, other years we had the team figured out much earlier, which is normal but this year waiting for his call, his decision, everything has ben delayed more than we wanted", said Echavarri. "We are glad that he has decided. Is good for everyone. This way the unknown is cleared and we know that we have to go on by ourselves", he said. "The problem now is not Banesto.

The decision now becomes his own and his advisers, which in this case are not from Banesto and what we want is for a man who has given so much for us, for our Cycling, for our Team to make the right choice", he added. Echavarri remembered "the last day" that he said hello to Indurain to "congratulate him from the heart for his award of the Gold Medal of the Navarran Community". Before and after we haven't spoken to him. I have always respected his silence, which is what I feel that he would have asked of us. What I want to clarify is that we haven't sent any messengers to anybody, because the only one that negotiates with Miguel Indurain is Jose Miguel Echavarri and Jose Miguel Echavarri has not negotiated", he said.

"It is true that I have been waiting and with sadness I can say that he has left us. He may have motives, possibly, but I don't know them", he added. About the possibility that Indurain may sign with ONCE commented: "I don't know what he's going to do. That is a very personal matter of Miguel. He believes that he has many teams out there and what I can say is that Banesto hasn't made him an offer, because is not his style". The negotiations that we used to do were like this: we would get together, he would ask and we would give. Period, there was never any discussion. This year we haven't had the chance. We were at the mercy of whatever the media is saying, but Banesto doesn't say it, is the media. And we need to take into account that Miguel hasn't spoken yet", finished Echavarri.

Jose Miguel Echavarri, sport director for Banesto, confirmed to TVE that Indurain will not ride for his team next season and that he was under the impression that he would ride one more year. The situation seems to be clarifying every moment and everybody insists that Indurain is only having conversations with ONCE, just like EL PAIS published yesterday. A spokesperson for ONCE manifested that "things seem to be moving along, but that ONCE is not going to move from where it's at", referring to the fact that there is a sports agreement between Indurain and ONCE, but they haven't reached an economic agreement. If this agreement doesn't come through, Indurain would have a hard time getting a team to remain active (Yeah right. FRG)

Economic options - One of the options that ONCE has shuffled to adjust itself to the cash needs of Indurain could be an agreement with TVE (Spanish Television), who could participate in funding the contract with Indurain, in this way guaranteeing that Indurain would participate in some races where TVE would have exclusive rights. The one that hasn't said anything is Indurain, who remains inaccessible for speaking to the press.