Third Edition News for June 18, 1997

Rolf's Diary Update

See the last entry. Almost at least. The legs hurt really badly, there was still lactate in them from yesterday (but not only in me). And it was also harder behind the motor cycle, at the end Philipp Buschor, who rides for Saeco, rode with. Tomorrow I will spin a little shorter, do I can go a lot again on Friday and Saturday. Next Sunday I won't train, my fan club has a family tour!

Who actually won the time trial at the Giro?

Zihlschlacht, 6 June 97

I'm glad that I can finally ride in some races again. The training is getting to me slowly. In exactly five day I can mix it up in Luxembourg in a race! Unfortunately, I'm not very optimistic concerning my form, but one never knows!

Luxembourg, 11 June 97

So, I'm back again. Last week I had enough of the computer, the diary and ... (training). I nearly sought a job! I had to struggle with myself to go training, but at least I trained. Now it's going better every day, and I'm tense about tomorrow, how it'll go in the first stage of the Tour of Luxembourg. I'm somewhat sceptical.

Whoever has a good job for me, should let me know!

Luxembourg, 12 June 97

I'm very content. It went very well and I even got a hold of some king of the mountain points. After the stage I even stretched, that should help. I only hope that it continues to go so well, then I'll start the Tour de Suisse very motivated. There was, by the way, a field sprint with the winner Eric Zabel. The world champion Museeuw, Rolf Sorensen, and Bartoli arrived in the "grupetto" and Jalabert rode the whole day unstrikingly in the peleton, are they up to something?

Luxembourg, 13 June 97

2nd stage of the Tour of Luxembourg

Today I stretched again! In this 200km long stage with an average speed of 42km/h I actually felt really good. In the last 50km I set tempo with four Telekom riders, Johann Museeuw, and Gianni Bugno for the field, and I think we were going really fast. The escapees were reeled in in the last kilometre.

But Gianni Bugno learned team riding like never before, also today he rode at the time about 4km/h faster than the rest of us, when he came to the front. But that's old news, one may in no case yell to him to slow down, then he'll just accelerate more. Luckily, everyone know that and so we keep our thoughts to ourselves.

Luxembourg, 14 June 97

3rd + 4th stages of the Tour of Luxembourg

In the morning stage I was with a group that was reeled in 10km before the finish. It's going much better than expected, but I'm still not in high form. In the evening time trial I only lost 50 seconds in 16km to the second place Alberto Elli (Casino). Is that because of my new time trial bike, that I rode today for the first time? I can get a very good position and the material is also super. Aluminium, very light and stable. Now I would like to save a little energy tomorrow and then see how I can do in the prologue at the Tour de Suisse at home.

Diekirch (Luxembourg), 15 June 97

5th stage of the Tour of Luxembourg

I suffered the whole day. The men from Mapei rode like crazies over the hills, in order to defend the leader's jersey for Vandenbrouke. At the end there was still a field sprint, with the winner - Jaan Kirsipuu - from, right!, Casino, c'est votre equipe. We're really happy, and Alberto Elli is second in the general classement. Unlike our team in the Dauphine, who, so I hear, are doing nothing

Translated by David Wear

Russian rider brings US-team to Tour de France

Nobody expected a big role by US Postal Service in the international cyclingworld. Without a big budget they've got a wild card. Since the Dauphine Libere was their biggest race till now: Ekimov won one stage and the individual time trial and wore the yellow leader shirt until the Alps. But that was not the only success. Jean-Cyril Robin came third in the final standings. And a big talent was revealed: the Polish Dariusz Baranowski.

Team manager Johnny Weltz: "Our team made the colour in the Dauphine. The selection for the Tour de France is a great victory for us." With a budget (less than half of the former Motorola-'s budget) Weltz think it's possible to play a good role. "It's fantastic to stay in a five-stars-hotel; but you can also sleep in a three-stars-hotel. And we don't have to fly first class. In economy-class you reach the other side of the ocean too".

From the beginning of US Postal Service aimed to reach the Tour de France. "Cycling isn't so popular in the United States; but when you talk about the Tour de France everybody knows where you are talking about. It's good for our sponsor to be in the Tour. We shall invite as much as possible big bosses for following some stages. Than they can see live what it means to be in the Tour de France."

Some reporters thinks the team was working so hard for getting the wild card, that they are too tired for the Tour. Weltz: "Absolutely not. We are still growing. We don't have a final winner in our team; but we can go for some stage-victories. We shall arrange some uproar."