Rolf's Diary UpdateZihlschlacht, 30 June 97At the Swiss National Championships I felt the tiredness of the proceeding 10 days. And after two hours in the rain I abandoned frustrated, at sometime point the rain beat me. There was a worthy champion, Oskar Camenzind (2nd, Tour de Suisse), 2. Roli Meier (5th, TdS) [Elite-Amateur champion 93, dew], 3. Niki Aebersold (stage winner TdS). The three best Swiss in the Tour de Suisse on the podium, what more could one ask for? And today my oldest son is 7 years old, and I'll take a rest day from training, the first in a long time. Zihlschlacht, 1 July 97 I'm still knackered, but have a good feeling about the upcoming Tour de France. From next Thursday on I'll be underway and hopefully online again! (If I can find a telephone jack and I'm not blown). Translated by David Wear Interview with Miguel Indurain from La Gazzetta dello Sport, July 2 1997Q. We finally catch Miguel Indurain on the telephone at his house.A. Eh yes. Finally, I'm here in Pamplona. Q. Are you staying, are you returning to Benidorm, or are you joining the Tour in Rouen? A. I want to stay here for some time. I continue to spin like a top: But luckily doing what I like. When I returned to Pamplona, I met Athos, my rotweiler and he made me understand that I should stay here for a longer time. Q. How do you feel about Tour de France now? A. Since I'm retired from the agony, I look at the Tour with different eyes. I feel less attached. But I have seen the route for the Tour '97 when I attended the presentation in October of '96 and I went with other riders to EuroDisney, where the time trial of the penultimate stage will be raced. Then there is the circumstance of the homage to Jacques Anquetil. Q. What is that about? A. It's an initiative of the organizers of the Tour that deals with remembering Anquetil. I have been invited to the start of the Tour in Rouen, the city of Anquetil, who won five times the Tour like Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx and I. I will be in Rouen on Friday. Q. Will you stay in France to work for television or radio commentator like most people say you will? A. No. I will stay little time in France. And for now, I don't have appointment with television or radio. And not even with newspapers. I don't hide it: I have an infinite amount of proposals, but for now I don't want to do anything about it. Q. Why do you refuse to be interviewed? A. Because I am off the bicycle, because I am not who will win the next Tour and therefore it is proper for the others to speak: Riis, Ullrich, Olano, etc. Q. But you certainly can't feel so distant from the Tour after having disputed it for eleven years and winning it five times in a row. A. The past is the past. Q. If you don't want to be interviewed, can this at least be considered a 'confidential talk' in which the readers of La Gazzetta dello Sport will participate? A. However you want to put it. Q. Will you be miss the Tour? A. I hope not, so far I have not missed Paris-Nice, the Giro, the championship of Spain. Q. Speaking of national championships one of the Banesto's riders won: Jimenez. A. I'm happy. My brother Prudencio has said that Jimenez is going strongly. Q. Who others has Purdencion talked about for the Tour? A. He's also said that also Olano is going strongly. I don't know if Olano will be the Spaniard that will succeed me, and Riis in the Tour: we will verify it. Meanwhile, however, I know that he goes strongly. And Prudencio has told me that he will not race the Tour. Q. No Miguel Indurain. No Prudencio, who was an appendix of Miguel. No Claudio Chiappucci. It will be quite a different Tour, the first Tour of the post-Indurain era. A. Eh yes. It will be a different Tour. I, however, don't regret the choice that I have made of closing my career in cycling. I'm very happy with my wife Marisa and Miguelito my son. Q. All house and business? A. Enough. Q. Have you seen some of the spring cycling? A. I continue to follow some competition on television. Q. Also the Giro d'Italia? A. A little bit of it. Q. Has Gotti surprised you? A. Not at all. At the Giro and the Tour, the young climber had already shown that he has adjusted to the stage race competition. I have known him at the Tour: two years ago he wore the yellow jersey. Last year, instead, had problems with a leg. Once he resolved those problems he has returned. This year's Giro opened with many choices because of certain absences and because of the change of generation in action. Q. Gotti, is little at 60 kilos. Indurain is a giant at 80 kilos. A. He has benefitted at the Mortirolo, without a doubt. All joking apart, Gotti has done a great Giro. However he has not be seen since then. Q. He has spent three weeks far from competition doing 'active rest'. A. How do you, 'active rest'? And how is he going to control the Tour "resting" before racing it? I used to do hard training: two hours of bike a day and nine hours of bike the following day. I did that even when I disputed the Giro, even when I won. Q. So do you see Gotti as a contender for the Tour '97? A. I have not said this, but I am perplexed by how he has drawn away so near to the Tour. Q. Do you think that Pantani will return to be Pantani again? A. He has been courageous since his unfortunate incident in '95. Like for Gotti, it will be the road which will tell the truth after all. This year they are going back to the Alpe d'Huez where Pantani dominated: we will see there if the Pantani of before the accident has returned. Q. Is Riis the future of the Tour? A. Riis is more than thirty years old! The future is more for Ullrich. If Ullrich can confirm his Tour '96 performance, the future will be his. Q. Other men that will play for the yellow wheel? A. We have spoken about Olano, Riis, Ullrich, Gotti, Pantani. Isn't that enough names? We will have to see if Z|lle will be able to comeback from his unfortunate fall. Q. We have not talked about the exclusion of Chiappucci. A. I read somewhere that Chiappucci was left out because he's team is sponsored by Asics, therefore considering that Nike backs up the Tour. I don't know if it went quite like this. The truth, perhaps, is that the Tour and time grinds it all: Including feelings. It is certain that without me, without Prudencio and without Chiappucci, the Tour will be. Q. What do you think about the blood controls? A. I make this consideration: those that won before, continue to win now: On the scheme of the results things have changed little. Perhaps the health of the riders has changed. Q. Will you return to the saddle on July 20th in Treviso for the Gran Fondo Pinarello? A. At "Pinarello" of my friend Nane, will be the first "competition" that I will participate. And again on August 10 will be on the bike for the Gran Fondo "Miguel Indurain" in Bera. I will never finish pedaling. More Tour NewsTHE DATES: Between July 5 & 27 the participants of the 84th edition of the Tour de France will have to cover 3,870km. After a long fly from Perpignan, on July 17th they'll be able to enjoy a rest day at St. Etienne. After stage 19, the survivors will have to be transported on the TGV between Dijon and Eurodisney.THE START: For this year's start the Tour has chosen Jacques Anquetil's birth place, Rouen, in this way celebrating the first of the five victories by the Normandy champion. Jacques Anquetil was the first cyclist to have won five Tours, after him came Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault & Miguel Indurain. Also commemorated this year is 10 years of the death of the French cyclist. THE STAGES: The 21 Tour stages will be divided in this way: 11 flat, 3 medium mountain (4 in 96), 5 high mountain (4 in 96)and 2 time trials. The longest stage will be the second on July 7th: St. Valery-en-Caux - Vire(262km) and the shortest on July 20th: le Bourg d'Oisans-Courchevel (140km). THE MOUNTAINS: This year we have three finishes in mountains: Andorra-Arcalis (10th stage), Alpe d'Huez (13th stage) and Courchevel (14th stage). The race will cover 27 mountain climbs againts th3 24 in 1996, 18 in 1995 and 19 in 1994. THE TIME TRIAL: There will be 125km of time trial disputed at the Tour 97. So the importance of the so called 'race of truth' increases, since in the last seasons it had diminished, with 128km in 1994, 115km in 1995 and 100km in 1996. This year we will also miss the spectacular team time trial, since the organization has decided to leave it out, just like in 1996. As it is accustomed at the Tour, the first time trial will be the 8km Prologue. The second will be disputed on the 12th stage on July 18th with a 55km route which includes the climb of la Croix de Chabouret (1201 m.). The last time trial in Eurodisney is over a flat route, before the end of a stage. EDS US National Track Championships - Preview(Championships are July 9-13 in Colorado Springs)
For Immediate Release, July 1, 1997 COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The nations best track cyclists will be competing head-to-head at the EDS National Cycling Championships, July 9-13, at the 7-Eleven Olympic Training Center Velodrome. Riders will compete for 13 titles, including all of the Olympic and World Championship events. Topping the list of competitors is Marty Nothstein (Team EDS), Trexlertown, Pa., current world keirin champion and Olympic silver medalist in the mens match sprint. Nothstein has won two World Cup sprint titles this year as he attempts to defend his ranking as the number one male sprinter in the world. Joining Nothstein is Erin Hartwell, Indianapolis, Ind. Hartwell, a two-time Olympic medalist in the kilometer time trial, will be competing at the 1997 Nationals in the Olympic sprint, where he will team up with Nothstein in an attempt to defend Team EDS national title in the three-rider event. Also slated to compete is Rebecca Twigg (Team EDS), two-time Olympic medalist, six-time world champion and 18-time U.S. national champion. Twigg will be gunning for her eighth national title in the womens individual pursuit. She is the current national record-holder in the event. A number of other U.S. Olympians are expected to compete, including Mike McCarthy (Saturn), New York, N.Y.; Adam Laurent (Cox Atlanta Velo), Shell Beach, Calif.; Dirk Copeland (Mrs. Ts-Lexus), San Diego, Calif.; and Mariano Friedick (Saturn), Brentwood, Calif., all of whom were members of the U.S. team pursuit squad at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga. On the womens side, a new era will be ushered as riders will compete to succeed 10-time national womens match sprint champion Connie Paraskevin-Young, who retired after the 1996 Olympic Games. Among the contenders are hometown favorite Missy Thompson (PowerBar), Colorado Springs, Colo., who has won two rounds of the EDS Track Cup 97 this year; Nicole Reinhart (Cox Atlanta Velo), Macungie, Pa., and Jennie Reed (Greggs-Specialized), Issaquah, Wash. All three have represented the United States in World Cup competition this year. The womens points race is expected to be hotly contested with six-time national champion Janie Quigley not expected to compete. Four-time champion Karen Bliss Livingston (Saturn), Gainesville, Fla., will be looking to earn the title for the first time since 1991, along with Karen Dunne (Chippers), Colorado Springs, Colo., who has won the event at the last two EDS Track Cups. Other contenders include Reinhart, Erin Veenstra (Bank United), Colorado Springs, Colo., and Kendra Wenzel (Saeco-Timex), McKenzie Bridge, Ore. Wenzel is the number one road racer in the U.S. this year and has won national championship points race medals six times in her career. The mens side should see its share of new and emerging stars, starting with Christian Vande Velde (Mrs. Ts-Lexus), Lemont, Ill. Vande Velde is a two-time national champion and has placed second twice in the mens individual pursuit in World Cup competition this year. Also, look for the members of the Cox Atlanta Velo squad, the top-ranked team in EDS Track Cup competition this year. Those riders include Tommy Mulkey, Griffin, Ga.; Adam Payne, Newnan, Ga.; Brian Whitcomb, Atlanta, Ga.; and Ben Sharp, Indianapolis, Ind. Those riders should be strong in the mens endurance events -- team pursuit, individual pursuit, points race and Madison. The EDS National Cycling Championships is the fifth of seven rounds of the EDS Track Cup 97, a nationwide series aimed at enhancing track racing in the United States. NATIONAL CHAMPIONS AND NATIONAL RECORD-HOLDERS Mens Match Sprint Champion: Marty Nothstein (Team EDS), Trexlertown, Pa. Record: N/A Womens Match Sprint Champion: Connie Paraskevin-Young (CPY Sports), Corona del Mar, Calif. Record: N/A Kilometer Time Trial Champion: Erin Hartwell (Team EDS), Indianapolis, Ind. Record: Hartwell, 1:01.825, 9/17/95, Colorado Springs, Colo. 500 Meters Champion: Chris Witty (Mrs. Ts-Lexus), ??, Wis. Record: Jill Gianettoni (Alto Velo), Cupertino, Calif., 35.400, 8/12/96, Colorado Springs, Colo. Mens Individual Pursuit Champion: Kent Bostick (Shaklee), Corrales, N.M. Record: Mariano Friedick (Saturn), Brentwood, Calif., 4:19.808, 8/28/96, Manchester, England Womens Individual Pursuit Champion: Rebecca Twigg (Team EDS), Colorado Springs, Colo. Record: Twigg, 3:36.081, 9/30/95, Bogota, Colombia Mens Points Rac Champion: Jame Carney (Shaklee), Durango, Colo. Record: N/A Womens Points Race Champion: Janie Quigley (EDS National Team), Wilmington, Del. Record: N/A Keirin Champion: Marty Nothstein (Team EDS), Trexlertown, Pa. Record: N/A Olympic Sprint Champions: Marty Nothstein, Trexlertown, Pa.; Erin Hartwell, Indianapolis, Ind.; Trey Gannon, Plano, Texas; and Mark Garrett, Los Angeles, Calif. (Team EDS) Record: N/A Team Pursuit Champions: Dirk Copeland, San Diego, Calif.; Matt Hamon, McKinleyville, Calif.; Adam Laurent, Shell Beach, Calif.; Mike McCarthy, New York, N.Y.; Carl Sundquist, Fort Smith, Ark.; and Christian Vande Velde, Lemont, Ill. (EDS National Team) Record: Copeland, Laurent, Zach Conrad, Longmont, Colo.; and Mariano Friedick, Brentwood, Calif. (U.S. National Team), 4:06.731, 8/30/96, Manchester, England Madison Champions: Jame Carney (Shaklee), Durango, Colo.; and Jonas Carney (Shaklee), Boulder, Colo. Record: N/A Tandem Sprint Champions: Kirk Whiteman (Nautica), Brooklyn, N.Y.; and Vincent Oliver (Verrazano), Far Rockaway, N.Y. Record: N/A 1997 EDS National Cycling Championship Schedule Wednesday, July 9 - Session One, 9 a.m. Women Sprint Qualifying Men Ind. Pursuit Qualifying Session Two, 7 p.m. Men Sprint Qualifying Men Individual Pursuit QuarterFinals Women 500m Time Trial Final Men Kilometer Time Trial Final Women 500m Time Trial Awards Men Kilometer Time Trial Awards Thursday, July 10 - Session Three, 9 a.m. Women Sprint Round 1 Men Sprint Round 1 Women Sprint Round 1 Repechage Men Sprint Round 1 Repechage Session Four, 7 p.m. Men Ind. Pursuit Semi-Finals Women Sprint 1/8 Finals Men Sprint Round 2 Women Sprint 1/8 Finals Repechage Men Sprint Round 2 Repechage Men Individual Pursuit Finals Men Sprint 1/8 Finals Men Sprint 1/8 Finals Repechage Men Ind. Pursuit Awards Friday, July 11 - Session Five, 9 a.m. Women Ind. Pursuit Qualifying Women Sprint QuarterFinal, Ride 1 Team Pursuit Qualifying Women Sprint QuarterFinal, Ride 2 Men Sprint QuarterFinal, Ride 1 Women Sprint QuarterFinal, Ride 3 (if necessary) Men Sprint QuarterFinal, Ride 2 Men Sprint QuarterFinal, Ride 3 (if necessary) Session Six, 7 p.m. Team Pursuit Semi-Finals Men Sprint Semi-Final, Ride 1 Women Sprint Semi-Final, Ride 1 Women Ind. Pursuit QuarterFinals Men Sprint Semi-Final, Ride 2 Women Sprint Semi-Final, Ride 2 Men Sprint Semi-Final, Ride 3 (if necessary) Women Sprint Semi-Final, Ride 3 (if necessary) Paralympic Kilometer Time Trial Men Sprint Final, Ride 1 Men Sprint 5th-8th Finals Men Sprint Final, Ride 2 Team Pursuit Final Men Sprint Final, Ride 3 (if necessary) Team Pursuit Awards Men Sprint Awards Saturday, July 12 - Session Seven, 9 a.m. Olympic Sprint Qualifying Men Points Race Heats Tandem Sprint Qualifying Session Eight, 7 p.m. Women Individual Pursuit Semi-Final Keirin Qualifying Women Sprint 5th-8th Finals Keirin Repechage Women Sprint Final, Ride 1 Keirin Round 2 Women Sprint Final, Ride 2 Keirin Final Women Sprint Final, Ride 3 (if necessary) Keirin Awards Women Sprint Awards Women Individual Pursuit Final Women Ind. Pursuit Awards Men Points Race Final Men Points Race Awards Sunday, July 13 - Session Nine, 9 a.m. Olympic Sprint Semi-Finals Women Point Race Heats (if necessary) Tandem Sprint Semi-Finals, Ride 1 Paralympic Pursuit Tandem Sprint Semi-Finals, Ride 2 Tandem Sprint Semi-Final, Ride 3 (if necessary) Madison Heats (if necessary) Session Ten, 7 p.m. Tandem Sprint Final, Ride 1 Paralympic 200m Time Trial Tandem Sprint Final, Ride 2 Madison Finals Olympic Sprint Finals Paralympic Omnium Awards Madison Awards Olympic Sprint Awards Tandem Sprint Final, Ride 3 (if necessary) Tandem Sprint Awards Women Points Race Final Women Points Race Awards |