News for February 28, 1997

Pantani up in the hills, Nelissen down in the dumps

Marco Pantani (Mercatone Uno) appears to be well on the road to full fitness after his terrible leg injury in Milan--Turin on October 18, 1995. He managed 11 days of racing at the end of the 1996 season and began racing this season last Sunday (February 23) in the Trofeo Luis Puig in Spain. The good news from this race was that the Italian climber got over the main climb of the day, a first-cat col rising to 1,000 metres, in the lead group. Currently riding the Vuelta a la Comunidad Valenciana, Pantani plans to ride the Clasica Almeria on Sunday and then the Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia March 5-9. "I think that I'll be practically in possession of my full powers by the Tour of the Basque Country [April 7--11]," Pantani said. "I'm at my racing weight (57kg) for the season and my fat proportion is falling little by little (7%) and if things keep going on like this, I think I'll be competitive for the Giro d'Italia (May 17-June 8), which is my principal objective for the season."

Belgian sprinter Wilfried Nelissen, whose crash in the 1996 Gent-Wevelgem left him with leg injuries as serious as Pantani's, is discovering that the road to fitness a tough one. He is finding training on his own extremely hard but has managed a few outings, but rarely more than 40km. Recently Nelissen, who now rides for the small Belgian Palmans team, was encouraged by his friend Johan Capiot to go out training wiith him on their native Limburg roads, but soon found himself dropped by the TVM rider. Nelissen's doctors still believe that he will be back in racing shape in a couple of months.

Report from Jay Sweet - Second Stage 8 Tour of Malaysia

After a lack lustre start to the 1997 Tour of Malaysia Giant-AIS rider Jay Sweet is quote "finally finding his legs". Sweet 21 from Elizabeth, South Australia, sprinted the top class field in easily arriving in second place 2 minutes behind stage winner Brian Walton (Saturn USA). Fellow Giant rider Jens Voigt is currently placed second overall, for whom the team is working for. National Road Champion Nick Gates has had a less than memorable start to the season withdrawing from the tour after only 2 stages. Sweet will be getting some press in Italy, being photographed alongside Gianni Bugno today. Giant AIS will be travelling to South Africa and then to Italy, meeting up with the u/23 counterparts to start their European campaign.

VDB correction

Lefevere: 'We won't see Frank in races before March 15'

More info about Manuel Abreu:

34 years old - Became a professional in 1987 - Portugese Champion in 1995

Riders not starting in Valencia

Jeroen Blijlevens - ill with a virus
Rolf Sorensen - not recovered from an influenza
Peter Luttenberger - not recovered from a fall in Tour of Mediterranean

Tour of Valencia Teams fined

The managers for 10 teams (out of 21) at the Vuelta Valenciana were fined 200 Swiss Francs yesterday, for not following the new regulation limiting to one car per team the amount of cars that may follow the peloton. Included in those were the managers for Italian teams Roslotto-ZG, Mapei-GB, Aki-Safi, Asics and Mercatone Uno.

Regency Park Criteriums Adelaide, South Australia

After three consecutive weeks of cancellations due to the long heat wave, the Regency Park criteriums continued on Tuesday evening. The SACF and Norwood Club have a policy that when the forecast temperature is over 35 degrees C then the races are cancelled.

Brett Aitken won A grade today holding off determined Keith Felix by a quarter wheel. Brett is off to compete in the madison championships this weekend. 

A Grade

1. B Aitken
2. K Felix
3. L Petruzzelli

B Grade

1. M Sparnon
2. A Kuhl
3. G Shannon

C Grade

1. L Varacelli
2. D Ross
3. B Wilson

D Grade

1. M Green
2. B Brosnan
3. D leo

E Grade

1. A Bishop
2. A Gooley
3. J Tilley

F Grade

1. A Stevens
2. T Cheyne
3. T Brennand

South Australian Cycling Federation State Track Championships 1997

Women u/15

500m Time Trial
1. R Braithwaite 46.31s

5km Scratch Race
1. R Braithwaite 8m55.98s

Sprint Derby
1. R Braithwaite

Pursuit 2000m
1. R Braithwaite 3m 9.65s

Women u/17

500m Time Trial
1. K Bean 40.67s

10km Scratch Race
1. E Luker 7m 5.17s

Sprint Derby
1. E Luker

Pursuit 2000m
1. K Bean 2m 46.56s

Women u/19

Points Race 20km
1. R Linke 28m01.67s

500m Time Trial
1. K Parker

Scratch Race 10k
1. A Burns

Sprint
1. R Hubbard

Pursuit 2000m
1.  R Linke
2.  A Burns
3.  J Robinson 2m31.52

Women

Points Race 20km
1.  C. Zucker
2.  S Johinke
3.  R Chadwick 28m33.48s

500m Time Trial
1.  C Zucker (38.92s)
2.  K Bates
3.  S Simpson

Scratch Race 10k
1.  S Johinke 12m59.01s
2.  C Zucker
3.  K Bates

Sprint
1.  C Zucker
2.  K Bates
3.  R Chadwick

Pursuit 3000m
1.  S Johinke
2.  K Bates
3.  R Chadwick 3m52.68

Men u/15

500m Time Trial
1. M Lyons (38.99s)

Scratch Race 5k
1. T Dajka 6m51.74s

Sprint Derby
1. G Matulich

Pursuit 2000m
1. G Matulich 2m37.34

Men u/17

500m Time Trial
1. J Dajka 34.66s

Scratch Race 10k
1. G Bates 13m25.41s

Sprint
1. G Bates

Pursuit 2000m
1.  G Bates 2.22.32
2.  N Graham
3.  J Dajka

Men u/19

30k Points Race
1. A Wishart

Keirin 2000m
1. K Selin
Scratch 15k
1. K Selin
Pursuit 3000m
1. C Spears 3m39.95
Sprint
1.  K Selin

Men

Scratch Race 20k
1.  M Heath
2.  D Bates
3.  K Felix

4k Pursuit
1.  S Sabine 4m53.34
2.  2 K Felix
3.  M Donnan

1k Time Trial
2.  2. M Heath
3.  3. K Felix

Keirin
1. M Heath

Sprint
1.  J Katakasi
2.  2. M Heath
3.  3. D Bates

Points Race 40k
1.  K Felix
2.  B Lindsay
3.  S Sabine
4.  Julian Blackwell (4 finishers only)