ZulleAlex Zulle trained over a 20 km climb in the neighbourhood of Barcelona on Wednesday. He announced that he would make a decision about starting in the Tour de France next Wedensday.Several riders out of the TourThe Tour's already over for climbing specialist Javier Mauleon, who must keep a cast for four weeks with a broken radius. His Once teammate, Hermino Diaz Zabala, whose knee ligaments are broken, will not take the start of the Tour either. Belgium's Johan Bruyneel (Rabobank) won't make it either because of tendinitis. There also are serious doubts concerning number two Alex Zulle (broken collarbone) and Ludovic Auber (pelvis), who might be replaced by Ravaleu or Da Cruz.Breukink to ride his 11th TourThirty three year old Erik Breukink, will ride this year his eleventh Tour de France, from July 5th to 27th, with Dutch team Rabobank, even though he had originally told his team director, Theo de Roy, that he didn't want to dispute the race. Breukink, who in 1990 finished third, will substitute Belgian Johan Bruybeel, who's the victim of tendonitis of his right foot, which means that he won't be ready after retiring from the "Route du Sud" disputed in France. Team Rabobank whose leader at the Tour will be Austrian Peter Luttenberger, will also take Breukink, Rolf Sorensen, Michael Boogerd, Leon van Bon, Erik Dekker, Patrick Jonker, Danny Nelissen & Arvis Piziks.Fernando EscartinHe is a rider with short palmares, when you consider his quality as a cyclist. The sportsman from Biescas won his third stage race in the Tour of Catalonia, since becoming a professional 8 years ago. In 1995 he won la Vuelta a Aragon & la Vuelta a los Valles Mineros. Escartin admits that "what I was lacking was to go for the kill, to climb one more step. I know that I'm a regular cyclist and that winning is difficult. I needed to get mad, to be pissed off. But that is because of my character and I am the way I am. My objective is to continue progressing as a cyclist and I believe that this year I have taken an important step in the time trials, which are definitely the ones that take or give the absolute victories, without losing my performance in the mountains", he assures.He immediately wanted to thank again all of team Kelme for the work done for him. "They have all given it all, specially Marcos Serrano, who pulled through the most difficult part of the 'Queen Stage', to take me to 5km from the finish. But all, including the riders not here have collaborated, like Juan Carlos Dominguez, with his three victories at the start of the season, Jose Luis Rubiera or 'Chepe' Gonzalez''. Escartin will not attend the Spanish National Championship which will be disputed at Melilla this weekend. "I prefer to rest after such a tough Volta, specially after Wednesday's stage. And I face the Tour with hope, which is more open than other years. I face it with hope, but being a realist. I already know that I can place well in the classification. Now I want to improve in the overall and win a stage". And he will have terrain for this, since there will be six stages with mountain finishes. Escartin knows them well and has also studied them, taking advantage of his participation at the Classique Des Alpes. He also said that his favorites are Bjarne Rijs & Jan Ullrich and that Abraham Olano, "still needs to improve in the high mountain". Riis goes homeBrian Holm announced that Bjarne Riis will end his career in Danmark. Riis wil be the road captain of the new team 'Jack and Jones' next year. Jesper Skibby should become the number 1 in this team. |