Contracts and Transfers- Servais Knaven will remain with TVM after signing a contract with team manager Cees Priem until 1999, with an option for another year. This season, according to Priem, the former Dutch Champion became more and more the keystone for his team's chances. His positive energy and work, meant the rider from the province of Zealand, provided a stimulus to the team. Knaven won the time trial in the Tour of Denmark.- Cedico not only signed Bart Brentjens, but also Belgium's best mountain- biker Filip Meirhaeghe (this year he was riding for Espace card) to ride a road program next year. Meirhaeghe also will ride for the same mountain- bike team as Brentjens next year. Dutch Drugs Scandal - Part 11I swear on my lady that I have not used EPOThey are getting desperate in the Netherlands. Here is the latest. Last week, John van den Akker (31) ended his career as a full-time professional. Previously he had ridden for four years with PDM, where he was associated with the now infamous doctor Wim Sanders. "This man was so nonchalant." said van den Akker. John van den Akker rode for PDM for four years and was there for the one and a half year period when the team doctor Wim Sanders was his medical adviser. "Sanders is a terribly nice man. I can laugh with him. But I doubt whether he was the best conceivable doctor. It is certain that he prevaricated." The drugs scandal involving Sanders has also set Van den Akker thinking. He denies that he took any stimulants. Well was the ex-rider from Veldhoven given banned products from the medicine chest. "What has come out now is is no scandal for PDM but for Sanders. I did not ride any Tour with PDM, with Sanders I did not have much to do with him. For PDM, I always was ready for the Tour. And that is one fact that each of the great team riders has to be sharp, in top condition and optimally prepared for the Tour. That each rider is ready to give their best. Cycling is big business and you have to search always for the best. But I did not really know what all the tour riders received. "Sanders was given latitude with the medical matters. I always thought that PDM was not that much better than the other great teams. On the medical business I always thought that I had to be discreet, and I must beforehand have serious consideration about the doctor you name. And perhaps Sanders was not a very good choice. This man was so nonchalant." In 1993, with PDM gone, Van den Akker went to ZG-Mobili, which was a leading Italian team, and he was directly tackled about the medical business at PDM. "I could say very little, because I knew very little. In Italy, the modern techniques were still in their infancy. We thought that in France and Italy there was a lot of drug use, and we justified the view that it was okay in the Netherlands. That came unstuck after PDM, and that is not my correct impressoin. Mine is that PDM was not into doping. Van den Akker sayd that EPO, supplied by the chemists, was not taken. "The knowledge of EPO has been around for around 5 years in the peloton. That really started with the Italian teams. I am afraid of EPO. I was not that daring. Also for that matter may I say not on my lady. But I know it was being used. I was hearing left and right what was going on. An all cases of riders caught with high hemacrit levels you may think that they were using EPO. "Drugs is a big taboo. You are ready to suffer for the sponsor. I know a lot but I can not always say. Perhaps that is hypocritical. Riders think alike. Everyone has things in his head. The Rabobank is terribly afraid of being involved in drug affairs but you still cannot convince me that nothing is taken. I am not saying that there are drugs being used, but I find it hypocritical that the soigner Fons Van Heel has to swear an affadavit declaring he is not using drugs in the team because he has been named in the business of Sanders." Certainly, Van den Akkers does not recommend taking the route to drug use. "No. It is also not so that cycling is a great firm of deceit. Okay, there is drug use, and okay there are races that are fixed. There are payments for letting races go. Would I do it. For a thousand guilders. Winning in Limburg was so important for our sponsor Foreldorado-Golff. Cycling is my living." Next part: How the drug tests are a joke. Mapei-GB in 1997Fernando Ferrari, www.cyclingnews.com's Spanish source and also the leading writer for the cycling newspaper Meta2Mil has compiled a thorough analysis of the Mapei-GB results in 1997. Hope you like them as much as I did.Italians for riders and Spain for races unless otherwise noted.
Victories - 84 2nd Stage Estrella Bessèges (Fra) Jan Svorada (Cze) 3rd Stage Estrella Bessèges (Fra) Jan Svorada (Cze) 5th Stage Estrella Bessèges (Fra) Jan Svorada (Cze) Trofeo Magalluf Tom Steels (Bel) 2nd Stage Vuelta Andalucía Johan Museeuw (Bel) 4th Stage Vuelta Andalucía Johan Museeuw (Bel) 5th Stage Vuelta Andalucía Johan Museeuw (Bel) 3rd Vuelta Langkawi (Mal) Andrea Tafi 9th Vuelta Langkawi (Mal) Andrea Tafi 10th Vuelta Langkawi (Mal) Gianni Bugno Kuurne-Bruselas-Kuurne (Bel) Johan Museeuw (Bel) 2nd Stage París-Niza (Fra) Tom Steels (Bel) 3rd Stage París-Niza (Fra) Tom Steels (Bel) 5th Stage París-Niza (Fra) Tom Steels (Bel) 8th Stage A París-Niza (Fra) Tom Steels (Bel) 4th Stage Giro Cerdeña (Ita) Jan Svorada (Cze) Flecha Brabançona (Bel) Gianluca Pianegonda 3 Days de La Panne (Bel) Johan Museeuw (Bel) 1st Stage Vuelta País Vasco Gabriele Missaglia 3rd Stage Vuelta País Vasco Stefano Zanini 5th Stage A Vuelta País Vasco Stefano Zanini 2nd et. Semana Bergamasca (Ita) Jan Svorada (Cze) 4th et. Semana Bergamasca (Ita) Jan Svorada (Cze) 5th et. Semana Bergamasca (Ita) Guiseppe Di Grande 7th et. Semana Bergamasca (Ita) Guiseppe Di Grande 8th et. Semana Bergamasca (Ita) Jan Svorada (Cze) 3rd Giro Trentino (Ita) Davide Bramati 1st Stage 4 Días Dunkerque (Fra) Wilfried Peeters (Bel) 4th Stage 4 Días Dunkerque (Fra) Johan Museeuw (Bel) 4 Días Dunkerque (Fra) Johan Museeuw (Bel) 1st Stage Vuelta Romandía (Swi) Guiseppe Di Grande 4th Stage Vuelta Romandía (Swi) Pavel Tonkov (Rus) Vuelta Romandía (Swi) Pavel Tonkov (Rus) 3rd Stage Giro Italia Pavel Tonkov (Rus) 5th Stage Giro Italia Pavel Tonkov (Rus) 11st Giro Italia Gabriele Missaglia 12nd Giro Italia Guiseppe Di Grande 21st Giro Italia Pavel Tonkov (Rus) Vuelta Colonia (Ger) Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel) Prólogo Vuelta Austria Oskar Camenzind (Swi) 1st Stage Vuelta Austria Daniele Nardello 4th Stage Vuelta Austria Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel) 5th Stage Vuelta Austria Oskar Camenzind (Swi) 7th Stage Vuelta Austria Daniele Nardello 8th Stage Vuelta Austria Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel) Vuelta Austria Daniele Nardello 2nd Stage Vuelta Luxemburgo Tom Steels (Bel) 4th Stage Vuelta Luxemburgo Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel) Vuelta Luxemburgo Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel) Giro Apeninos (Ita) Pavel Tonkov (Rus) 1st Stage Vuelta Suiza Oskar Camenzind (Swi) 7th Stage Vuelta Suiza Tom Steels (Bel) 9th Stage Vuelta Suiza Oskar Camenzind (Swi) 1st Stage Volta Catalunya Jan Svorada (Cze) 2nd Stage Volta Catalunya Jan Svorada (Cze) 4th Stage Volta Catalunya Jan Svorada (Cze) Campeonato Italia Fondo Gianni Faresin Campeonato Suiza Fondo Oskar Camenzind (Swi) 3rd Stage Vuelta Portugal Jan Svorada (Cze) 6th Stage Vuelta Portugal Zenon Jaskula (Pol) 12nd Stage Vuelta Portugal Zenon Jaskula (Pol) Vuelta Portugal Zenon Jaskula (Pol) 3rd et. V. Regiones Valonas (Bel) Tom Steels (Bel) 4th et. V. Regiones Valonas (Bel) Tom Steels (Bel) Criterium d'Abruzzo (Ita) Daniele Nardello Trofeo Matteotti (Ita) Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel) 1st Stage Vuelta Galicia Jan Svorada (Cze) 3rd Stage Vuelta Galicia Jan Svorada (Cze) Rochester Classic (GB) Andrea Tafi Trofeo Escaladores 1 (Ita) Pavel Tonkov (Rus) Trofeo Escaladores (Ita) Pavel Tonkov (Rus) Copa Sels (Bel) Tom Steels (Bel) 11st Stage Vuelta España Jan Svorada (Cze) 13rd Stage Vuelta España Pavel Tonkov (Rus) 15th Stage Vuelta España Pavel Tonkov (Rus) 16th Stage Vuelta España Jan Svorada (Cze) 17th Stage Vuelta España Jan Svorada (Cze) Milán-Vignola (Ita) Stefano Zanini GP Fourmies (Fra) Andrea Tafi GP Karlsruhe (Ger) Johan Museeuw (Bel) GP Karlsruhe (Ger) Oskar Camenzind (Swi) GP Guillermo Tell (Swi) Oskar Camenzind (Swi) Coppa Sabatini (Ita) Andrea Tafi Copa Japan Yoshiyuki Abe (Jap) Second Places Estrella Bessèges (Fra) Zbigniew Spruch (Pol) Vuelta Andalucía Johan Museeuw (Bel) Het Volk (Bel) Tom Steels (Bel) Tirreno-Adriático (Ita) Gianluca Pianegonda 3 Días La Panne (Bel) Carlo Bomans (Bel) GP Escalda (Bel) Johan Museeuw (Bel) Amstel Gold Race (Ned) Andrea Tafi Giro Trentino (Ita) Pavel Tonkov (Rus) 4 Días Dunkerque (Fra) Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel) Giro Italia Pavel Tonkov (Rus) Vuelta Austria Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel) GP Wielsbeke (Bel) Johan Museeuw (Bel) Giro Apeninos (Ita) Daniele Nardello Vuelta Suiza Oskar Camenzind (Swi) Rominger Classic (Swi) Oskar Camenzind (Swi) Vuelta Regiones Valonas (Bel) Nico Mattan (Bel) Trofeo Matteotti (Ita) Daniele Nardello Hew Cyclassics Cup (Ger) Wilfried Peeters (Bel) Coppa Bernocchi (Ita) Stefano Zanini Trofeo Escaladores 3 (Ita) Pavel Tonkov (Rus) Vuelta Polonia Zenon Jaskula (Pol) Campeonato Flandes (Bel) Tom Steels (Bel) Giro Piamonte (Ita) Paolo Lanfranchi Giro Lombardia (Ita) Paolo Lanfranchi Copa Japón Andrea Tafi Third Places GP Apertura (Fra) Jan Svorada (Cze) Trofeo Cala Ratjada Tom Steels (Bel) Clásica Almería Jan Svorada (Cze) Vuelta Stausee (Swi) Oskar Camenzind (Swi) Tour of Flanders (Bel) Franco Ballerini París-Roubaix (Fra) Johan Museeuw (Bel) Semana Bergamasca (Ita) Guiseppe Di Grande Vuelta Berna (Swi) Guiseppe Di Grande Hegirennen Winterthur (Swi) Oskar Camenzind (Swi) Vuelta Austria Oskar Camenzind (Swi) Campeonato Italia Valentino Fois París-Bruselas (Bel) Andrea Tafi GP Oostrozebeke (Bel) Nico Mattan (Bel) Milán-Turín (Ita) Paolo Lanfranchi Copa Mundo Andrea Tafi Fourth Places Giro Cerdeña (Ita) Gabriele Missaglia GP Gippingen (Swi) Guiseppe Di Grande Amsterdam Rai Derny (Ned) Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel) Vuelta Colonia (Ger) Oskar Camenzind (Swi) Campeonato Estados Unidos Andrea Tafi A Través Lausana (Swi) Oskar Camenzind (Swi) GP Zottegem (Bel) Nico Mattan (Bel) Trofeo Melinda (Ita) Gabriele Missaglia Memorial Vogeli (Swi) Oskar Camenzind (Swi) GP Fourmies (Fra) Wilfried Peeters (Bel) Fifth Places Kuurne-Bruselas-Kuurne (Bel) Wilfried Peeters (Bel) Henninger Turm (Ger) Guiseppe Di Grande Volta Catalunya Pavel Tonkov (Rus) GP Oostende (Bel) Bart Leysen (Bel) Rominger Classic (Swi) Andrea Tafi Giro Lazio (Ita) Andrea Tafi París-Tours (Fra) Jan Svorada (Cze) Sixth Places Trofeo Manacor Tom Steels (Bel) Vuelta Andalucía Wilfried Peeters (Bel) Het Volk (Bel) Franco Ballerini GP E3 Harelbeke (Bel) Wilfried Peeters (Bel) Flecha Brabançona (Bel) Carlo Bomans (Bel) Lieja-Bastoña-Lieja (Bel) Johan Museeuw (Bel) Vuelta Luxemburgo Nico Mattan (Bel) Vuelta Galicia Andrea Tafi Vuelta Holanda Johan Museeuw (Bel) GP Naciones (Fra) Johan Museeuw (Bel) Seventh Places Estrella Bessèges (Fra) Jan Svorada (Cze) Vuelta Berna (Swi) Daniele Nardello 4 Días Dunkerque (Fra) Nico Mattan (Bel) Giro Italia Guiseppe Di Grande Corestates Invitational (USA) Andrea Tafi Corestates Classic (USA) Jan Svorada (Cze) Vuelta Suiza Daniele Nardello GP Camaiore (Ita) Andrea Tafi Trofeo Escaladores 2 (Ita) Pavel Tonkov (Rus) Mandel Lys Escalda (Bel) Bart Leysen (Bel) Giro Lombardia (Ita) Andrea Tafi Eighth Places Trofeo Pollensa-Alcudia Carlo Bomans (Bel) París-Niza (Fra) Johan Museeuw (Bel) Campeonato Italia Daniele Nardello Trofeo Matteotti (Ita) Andrea Tafi Vuelta Galicia Pavel Tonkov (Rus) Rochester Classic (GB) Daniele Nardello Tres Valles Varesinos (Ita) Daniele Nardello Memorial Vogeli (Swi) Andrea Tafi Milán-Turín (Ita) Stefano Zanini Ninth Places Vuelta País Vasco Gianni Faresin Gante-Wevelgem (Bel) Johan Museeuw (Bel) Giro Trentino (Ita) Gianni Faresin GP Melle (Bel) Bart Leysen (Bel) GP Eddy Merckx (Bel) Johan Museeuw (Bel) Vuelta España Gianni Faresin GP Izegem (Bel) Johan Museeuw (Bel) París-Bruselas (Bel) Johan Museeuw (Bel) Copa Japón Paolo Lanfranchi Tenth Places GP Zottegem (Bel) Tom Steels (Bel) Other Places 11. 3 Días La Panne (Bel) Wilfried Peeters (Bel) 11. París-Roubaix (Fra) Stefano Zanini 11. Volta Catalunya Paolo Lanfranchi 11. Ruta Sur (Fra) Nico Mattan (Bel) 12. 3 Días La Panne (Bel) Franco Ballerini 12. Vuelta Aragón Daniele Nardello 12. Tour Francia Oskar Camenzind (Swi) 13. Tour of Flanders (Bel) Johan Museeuw (Bel) 13. Clásica San Sebastián Andrea Tafi 14. Vuelta Andalucía Carlo Bomans (Bel) 14. GP Suiza Andrea Tafi 14. Giro Puglia (Ita) Nico Mattan (Bel) 14. Copa Mundo Johan Museeuw (Bel) 15. Vuelta Galicia Gianni Faresin 15. GP Suiza Daniele Nardello 16. París-Tours (Fra) Andrea Tafi 17. Vuelta España Paolo Lanfranchi 18. Tour Francia Daniele Nardello 19. París-Roubaix (Fra) Andrea Tafi 19. Giro Lombardia (Ita) Franco Ballerini 20. Clásica San Sebastián Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel) 20. Copa Mundo Franco Ballerini 21. Amstel Gold Race (Ned) Wilfried Peeters (Bel) 24. Tour of Flanders (Bel) Carlo Bomans (Bel) 24. París-Roubaix (Fra) Franco Ballerini 24. Rochester Classic (GB) Nico Mattan (Bel) 28. Giro Italia Gianni Faresin 40. Copa Mundo Stefano Zanini 48. Copa Mundo Wilfried Peeters (Bel) 50. Tour Francia Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel) 53. Giro Italia Gabriele Missaglia 57. Tour Francia Andrea Tafi 59. Tour Francia Zenon Jaskula (Pol) 75. Giro Italia Gianni Bugno 89. Tour Francia Wilfried Peeters (Bel) 95. Vuelta España Gianni Bugno 96. Giro Italia Davide Bramati 97. Vuelta España Franco Ballerini 100. Giro Italia Zbigniew Spruch (Pol) 101. Giro Italia Gianluca Pianegonda 105. Vuelta España Davide Bramati 120. Vuelta España Jan Svorada (Cze) |