News for February 4, 1997

Excuses from the Dutch:

Adrie van der Poel (4th): "In the first round a Spanish rider blockade my way; I fell and one of my cables was caught in the railing. So I lost more than one minute in the beginning. If I hadn't have been caught up and lost time I would have been standing on the podium. I wouldn't have come first, because Pontoni was very strong today"

Richard Groenendaal (17th): "Van der Poel and I are the world champions of this season; but Pontoni wears the rainbow shirt. I had bad luck. This time it was not a problem with my tires. On the third lap I had a fight with the railing and my shoe broke. Then my brake didn't function any more and then my derailleur gave up.

But I knew it wasn't going to be my day as early as the first lap. I know that I will do less races next season. This year I raced too much.

Wim de Vos (5th): 'In December I thought I had to stop cycling for health reasons. But the last few weeks I have been feeling good. It was bad luck for me to puncture in the last lap. But it doesn't matter: fourth or fifth. I'm satisfied'

Coach Martin van Dijk (after his last race): 'I came for a rainbow shirt. So I'm not satisfied'.

After nine years Van Dijk has quit. The KNWU is at first looking for a replacement for the technical manager Gerrit Middag (he leaves for the UCI).

Candidates to succeed Van Dijk include: Kees van der Wereld (coach of the Spanish cycle-crossers), Nico van Hest (trainer of Groenendaal), Adrie van der Poel.

Four new Olympic cycling disciplines

Track cycling will get 4 new disciplines for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. They are: 500 meter for women , Americaine, Keirin and Team's Sprints.

Hein Verbruggen announced that in Sydney 480 riders will be in action. In Atlanta it were 491.

On the road: 212 (155 men and 57 women), 80 MTBers (50 en 30), and 188 track racers (154 and 34).

Too many races in the first category on the UCI Calendar

There are too many races in the first class section of the UCI calendar, so the UCI has split the races. Paris-Nice, Tirreno Adriatico, the Tours of Catalonia, Switzerland, Romandie, Basque Country, and the Dauphine Libere are all first class races.

Races like the Tour of the Netherlands, are in another category.

Verbruggen announced that this coming season you can earn bonus points for the World Cup. The first 8 teams in each race will get points for the World Cup. Individuals can get bonus points too for the UCI-ranking. The winner gets 200 points. For the best team 250 points.

Back to basics for the UCI

The UCI wants to go back to basics from 1 January 2000 with only traditional bikes being allowed. "We want to prevent that bikes look like airplanes", Verbruggen said. "Riders had to win because the can ride fast; not because they have the best material.

Hour-world records (with the bikes of Indurain, Obree and Boardman) had nothing to do with cycling anymore."

The UCI will make rules about the sizes of wheels; the frame had to be a triangle. About the sizes the UCI will make a decision in June.

Four candidates for World Cyclo Cross Championships in 2000

There are four candidates fot the World Championship cycle-cross 2000: the Netherlands, England, Spain and Luxembourg

The UCI decided to give the organization of the European championship for 'espoirs' to Villach (Austria 4 - 6 September), the European championship mountainbike cross-country (25 to 27 july) to Silkeborg (Denmark).

The European track championships will be between 19-21 September in Berlin.

Summer of Cycling - Australia, Tour of Tasmania

Stage 7, Port Arthur to Wellington

 1. Brendan Vesty (Sportscover, NZ)		3.45.25
 2. Alex Iacuone (Jayco, Australia)		
 3. H. Jansen (Ned)	
 4. Nick Gates (Giant-AIS, NSW)
 5. J. Pollock
 6. H. Szonn (Norway)
 7. Jason Phillips (Aust)
 8. R. Suckling (Western Aust)
 9. Cory Sweet (Giant-AIS, South Aust)
10. Paul Brosnan (Giant-AIS, Qld)

General Classification after Stage 7

 1. Alex Iacuone (Jayco, Australia)		20.06.43
 2. Nick Gates					
 3. Vestey
 4. Jansen
 5. Szonn
 6. Marcel Gono 
 7. J. Drew (Jayco)
 8. J. Jolidan
 9. Glen Mitchell (Sportscover, NZ)
10. Cory Sweet

Stage 9, Hobart Criterium

 1. Jay Sweet (South Aust)
 2. Graeme Miller (Sportscover, NZ)
 3. S. Landwehrkamp (Norway)
 4. Glen Mitchell (Sportscover, NZ)
 5. Paul Rogers (Aust)
 6. Matt White (Giant-AIS, NSW)
 7. Cory Sweet
 8. H. Jansen (Ned)
 9. Alex Iacuone (Jayco, Australia)
10. Nick Gates

General Classification after Stage 9

 1. Alex Iacuone (Jayco, Australia)	21.06.43
 2. Nick Gates					
 3. Vestey
 4. Jansen
 5. Szonn
 6. Marcel Gono 
 7. J. Drew (Jayco)
 8. J. Jolidan
 9. Glen Mitchell (Sportscover, NZ)
10. Cory Sweet (AIS)

Cyclo Results from Worlds

National Standings

      1. Switzerland      	19 pts
      2. Italy            	22
      3. Netherlands      	26
      4. Belgium          	30
      5. Germany          	47
      6. France           	91
      7. Great Britain    	99

Young riders: 

      1. Belgium      		13pts
      2. France       		14 
      3. Netherlands  		42 

Juniors: 

      1. France     		17pts
      2. Belgium    		29
      3. Germany    		33