Second Edition News for December 17, 1997

Contracts and Transfers

Bartoli Interview

"This will be my second Giro. Back then with the dream of winning a stage, this time with the decision to ride it to find out if I can be a player in the Major Stage Races".

- A important moment in your career...

"Yes. To be successful in the attempt I must modify my preparation, also be at the same level mentally and change my attitude. I need to free myself, for example, of the burden of the psychological conditioning used for the one day Classics of the World Cup".

- Things will change?

"I should have a Winter preparation not as intense. So don't expect me to be 'racing' at Milano-Sanremo. It will be in early April at the Northern Classics. After the Amstel Gold I will take a breather. Therefore no G.P of Frankfurt. Nothing that will cause me to be too mentally tired. I will polish my form at the Tour of Romandie for the Giro".

- How do you imagine "your" Giro?

"A brilliant start. To finish with splendid condition, maybe to catch the Pink Jersey in the first two stages. To be able to hold it and defend it as long as possible".

- A Giro with a podium placing?

"No. A Giro where I am a player, because I want to know what my limitations are in a Major Stage Race. In summary, I will know, if I can aspire in the near future to be amongst the winners. For now I aim for that since, with some exceptions, only a rider in their thirties usually wins the Major Stage Races".

- To finish amongst the top 5...

"The winner of the Giro will come out of the players in the last week. Anyway I don't what my result will be. I only know that I will face the Giro with (grinta) determination and confidence, although I'm pleased with how my preparation will go. The difficulties will be balanced, two time trials and four mountain top finishes".

- You're not worried about the fatigue, the stress of a three week race?

"No. In the three week races that I have ridden I have been able to achieve good things, specially when riding distance, but I have never ridden for the general classification. At the 1994 Giro I thought that I could win a stage and I was successful at Lienz in Austria. At the Tour I finished in 19th place and even though I was in front a few times, I failed to win a stage. At the 1995 Vuelta, I finished in 9th place. This year's Tour was a disaster: two bad falls had me K.O.".

- Do you count on a team with the caliper to help you and support you at the Giro?

"I think so. It is a team with some expertise, some young and plenty of enthusiasm, with one rider used to the stage races like Shefer, who when he fell at the last Giro was in third position in the overall".

- Which are your objectives this coming season?

"To peak for the World Championships. The World Championship circuit of Valkenburg is very good for my characteristics. I hope to win a Classic and to defend my leadership in the World Cup and to be able to successfully complete the Giro d'Italia".

- Who will be the Pink Jersey in Milano?

"I see different candidates. Gotti, as expected is at the top of the list since he was last year's winner; Zülle & Tonkov, maybe Pantani if he participates".

- If you could only say one name?

"I would say Zülle. Because when he is in form he seems to dominate the other candidates in the time trial".

From our Brazilian Correspondent

Dear Bill

Here I am again with some fresh news from Brazil. While the biggest part of the bunch is spending their vacations, we will have an international race here on Sunday, 21 December. It will be a criterium on the streets near the famous Copacabana beach, Rio de Janeiro. The race, hosted by the Brazilian Olympic Committee, will open the "Summer Olympic Festival", an event with some world class athletes in sports like tennis, boxing, indoor soccer and, of course, cycling.

The men's race will have 77 cyclists and, among them, some famous names. The french national Pursuit team is confirmed, with Frederic Magné, Carlos da Cruz, Jerome Neuville and Sylvain Anquetil trying to show their skills on the road. Also confirmed is Eleuterio Anguita (Estepona-Toscaf), winner of a stage in the Tour of Spain. The organizers are waiting also for another Estepona riders like Dani Clavero and Jose Luis Santamaria, as well as for Portuguese Troiamarisco team cyclists. Cuba, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Colombia will send some competitors of their national and amateur teams.

The circuit is 2 kilometers long and there will be 30 laps. There will be also a women race, with 30 competitors. Our best cyclist - Claudia Carceroni Santaigne - will contest the event. She is married to Daniel Santaigne, vice-presidente of the French Cycling Federation and has participated of 88 and 92 Olympic Games, as well as the Tour de France Feminin.

Caldirola Meeting

José Miguel Echavarri talks

He faces any question you ask him. What's more it seems like he is in the mood to talk: "It is true that I have isolated myself a little bit, but on many occasions it is better not to say anything. Why?" It has been a year that from the start, on January 2, when I haven't had much rest. It started with the retirement of Indurain and then followed by the cases of Sastre & Santi Blanco, amongst others which have left something very clear: "As of right now the only one that hasn't failed me is Banesto. When a sponsor like Banesto is present and it holds still even through the storm, that gives you peace. Because you make tough decisions and they never interpret them wrong".

He doesn't always want to talk: "My silence is to avoid certain situations. I have been silent so that nobody feels attacked in his thoughts or behavior. To talk about people is to accuse. I prefer to talk about Banesto, not people". He says that he doesn't have any open scars, that he sees everything with other eyes: "All this has shown me with whom you can speak in dangerous times".

Of Indurain? "I haven't seen him in a long time. Since he was at the Tour, in our hotel in Rouen, to visit us. It isn't easy to follow his life, after such an intense life together, it is normal to have a bit of distance", he said with some irony in his expression.

Javier Mínguez (Manager for new Spanish Team Seguros Vitalicios) assures that he can't get in touch with Echavarri. Echavarri doesn't blink: "I said hi to him at the Worlds, that's it". Minguez says that the signing of Blanco away from Banesto has cost him a friend: "What is a friend? I try to defend myself, I want to understand, I know that other people suffer. But remember that you never lose your real friends". The say that Santi Blanco's departure made him depressed: "I can tell you that he has all it takes to win. The base if set. He has changed architects, but now all that is left is to build the entire building".

About the matter of Carlos Sastre, the amateur rider that left for ONCE, it hurts maybe more: "The Spanish Federation tells me that they are tired of Sastre's case and it has been them who have made a mistake. In my collective things are won by voting, not because of a law, sometime I fell like Don Quijote, I have to shut up and accept what they tell me".

In terms of his current team leader at Banesto, Abraham Olano, Echavarri is very clear: "I'm happy with him. He confirmed what I knew. His professionalism and form hasn't coincided. Now he knows us better and we know him better. I always say that he needs three constants which are health, form and luck". Echavarri reasons that "at some point he was lacking health, but even then he had good palmares this year. He's the best time triallist in the world, he likes the profile of the next Tour and if he reaches it well he could dream about a podium spot".

He says that nobody has disappointed him: "What has happened is that a lot of people has shown themselves as they are. My philosohpy is more romantic. We have been men of the earth, we have planted, taken care of it and there has been people that have sowed the fruits without planting it. There sued to be a way of acting in cycling that has been lost".

Banesto Meeting

Team Banesto for next season will count with 22 riders after having 7 riders not returning (Blanco, Casero, Pruden Induráin, Uriarte, Aparicio, Miranda & González Arrieta) and nine additions, although five come from the amateur team. The acquisitions are Garmendia (Once), Soláun (Euskaltel), Barbosa (Maia), Odriozola (Batik), Mancebo (Banesto-amateur), Eladio Jiménez (amateur), Lastras (Banesto-amateur), Latasa (amateur) & Navas (amateur). Completing the team will be: Olano, José María Jiménez, De Las Cuevas, Beltrán, Hunt, Alonso, Rodrigues, Chente García, Arrieta, Fernández Ginés, Aitor Osa, Peña and Unai Osa.

Olano attends Banesto Team Meeting

Olano said that he didn't know the details of the route profile for the next Tour, although he said that "they have taken off the mountain time trial, but there are still a lot of mountain stages and four others that don't end in the mountains but will be suited for climbers". Olano said that at the Tour he will have as main rivals Riis, Virenque and Ullrich, "the number one favorite since he won last time", said Olano who is receiving advise from an endocrinologist, who is teaching him about nutrition.