A new era for professional cyclingProfessional cycling is poised at a significant crossroads as it awaits a new season which could produce a successor to the great Miguel Indurain and herald a major clean-up of a sport often tarnished by doping .Late last year, Indurain confirmed what many had expected by announcing his retirement after failing to win a record sixth Tour de France. Then, last week, the International Cycling Union (UCI) announced it would impose blood testing in its races after riders themselves, led by the Italians, decided to tackle the doping issue, saying they feared for their health. Race organisers such as Tour de France boss Jean-Marie Leblanc also appealed for drastic measures to ban the use of substances like erythropoietin (EPO) or growth hormones, said to be widely used. The move came as rumours circulated that riders had failed dope tests in major races last season but were allowed to give up, claiming to be injured or sick. Under the new UCI rules, riders will be barred from racing if the number of red blood cells in their bodies is found to be abnormally high. ``The priority for UCI is to stop the meteoric increase of EPO use. But our long-term plan is to fight doping in general by setting up a system to regularly gauge the health condition of our athletes,'' UCI president Hein Verbruggen told sports daily l'Equipe this week. The fact that Italian riders led the way in campaigning against EPO was all the more striking as Italian teams had been accused of being pioneers in blood doping. The UCI plan may also put an end to the law of silence which has been the trend for years in a sport whose greatest ever champion, Belgian Eddy Merckx, used to say : ``You don't win the Tour de France by eating sandwiches and drinking mineral water.'' Whatever his diet, Indurain will not improve his record of five Tour de France wins he shares with Merckx and two Frenchmen, Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault. The main question in the bunch, as it gears up for a season which starts in the south of France next week, is whether young, promising riders will take over straightaway or if the season will belong to Indurain's ageing rivals. Bjarne Riis was an unexpected Tour de France winner last summer and the 33-year-old Dane will have to prove he was more than just a one-hit wonder. Swiss Tony Rominger has joined a powerful new team, Cofidis, and will hope to win the Tour in what should be his last season on the roads. But the likeliest successor to Indurain should be another Swiss, Alex Zuelle, who at last won a major Tour last season, the Vuelta. Second to Indurain in the 1995 Tour de France, he is like Indurain both a gifted time-trial specialist and a seasoned mountaineer who now has enough experience to win in Paris. Spanish hopes will be mostly pinned on 1995 world champion Abraham Olano, who has been signed by Indurain's team Banesto, prompting his compatriot to quit. But for most of the witnesses of last July's ``Big Buckle,'' the rider to watch is young German Jan Ullrich, second to Riis in Paris. "He has all the talents and now, with the right preparation he can win it," said his team director Walter Godefroot. But the season unfolds long before the 1997 Tour starts from Rouen and the early races will as usual belong to classic specialists and sprinters. World champion Johan Museeuw last year won the two major titles he was bidding for, Paris-Roubaix and the world road title and despite a recent knee operation, the Belgian World Cup holder will start the season without pressure. The road Olympic title won in Atlanta may also give new ambitions to Swiss Pascal Richard, who has no time left to waste in his up-and-down career. Indurain's departure has made Briton Chris Boardman the undisputed time trial number one in the world. It remains to be seen whether the one-hour world record holder will be strong enough to shine in the Tour de France. Two women debut with Dutch National TeamPiet Hoekstra, the KNWU-coach for the Dutch female riders, announced the selection for the next season. There are two debutants: Angela Hillenga and Danielle Moonen. Elsbeth Vink (she changed last year to mountain-biking) came back in the selection (but will also cycling with the moutain-bike). Jet Jongeling left the selection this year. Ingrid Haringa (two medals in Atlanta) will start as assistant of Piet Hoekstra. She will combinate this function with racing. Ingrid has quit her job as policewomanParis-NiceAfter an absence of 7 years, Paris-Nice will start again in Paris. The start will be in the Bois de Boulogne and will be an individual time trial of 7.1 km. Other features will be the Stage 6 ascent of Mont Ventoux and the final stage ITT of 19.5 kms between Antibes-Nice 19,5 km. There will be a total of 144 riders from 18 teams. TVM is the only Dutch team.The comeback of Leontien van Moorsel'I am missing cycling', Leontien van Moorsel (twice winner of the Tour Feminin). She wants to come back to the top of Dutch cycling. 'I even think about the world title-race in Valkenburg in 1998. And maybe even about the Olympics in Sydney.She has signed with the VKS team which includes: Sissy van Alebeek, Noortje de Groot, Patricia Hermes, Wendie Kramp, Mirjam Melchers, Marielle van Scheppingen, Inge Velthuis, Nicole Vermast, Saskia de Vries, Anouska van der Zee and Leontien van Moorsel. Sponsor of De Vos and Boezewinkel threaten to go abroadThe sponsor of cycle crossers Wim de Vos and Erik Boezewinkel threatens to go abroad with a foreign license. Hans van Kasteren(VKS) wants to get explanations from the KNWU-director Frank Buddels. The KNWU didn't ask me anything. Not even for money. I wanted to pay the KNWU for riding the world championship in Munich in our shirts; but they didn't contact me. |