News for March 19, 1997

Tour of Spain misses Pyrennees

This year's Tour of Spain cycling race will start in Portugal for the first time and will avoid the Pyrennean mountains.

The race starts September 6 and finishe on September 28 after 22 stages, the first two of which will be held in Portugal.

The big climbs will be in the Sierra Nevada and the Asturias, where Miguel Indurain abandoned last year.

Fondriest

Fondriest, new problem with his back. Today he goes to see Pantani's orthopedic. - CORINALDO - Once the back, always the back. Maurizio Fondriest from Team Cofidis has already suffered for many days, but he held hard and hoped that a visit by Gert Meersemann, his chiropractor of trust would take care of him. "I have been able to hold on because of very good athletic condition, but the pain in the back has continued to increase and before the race of Ferentillo I was literally blocked. I was sitting on my suitcase, and I sneezed and I felt a sharp pain on my back".

Fondriest was not even brought to the departure point of is not been not even brought to Ferentillo. He left with a masseur toward Castelfidardo, the home of some friends. "I have called Professor Conconi and he has recommended that I get an MRI (magnetic resonance). Milano-Sanremo? At this moment, I don't know when I will return to racing". The man from Trento had dealt with the pain for a few stages. Just the other day, Merssemann arrived on a private flight from Milan to attempt to put Fondriest back in order.

It looked as if things were beginning to be good and instead here is a new obstacle. It was completely unexpected, as a matter of fact, his dad Cornelio Fondriest was at the finishing line yesterday and he didn't know anything about Maurizio's retirement from the race. Fondriest is really sad. He had already won a stage at la Valenciana and his adversaries pointed him out as one of the big favorites for Milano-San Remo. Today Fondriest will go to the St. Rocco of Ome, to visit Dr. Flavio Terragnoli, the orthopedic that continues to look after Marco Pantani during his recovery. He will also subject to an MRI.

Maurizio Fondriest was born in Cles (Tn) on January 15th, 1965. Professional since 1987. He won the World Road Race at Renaix in 1988. 1993 was his golden year with Tirreno-Adriatico, Milano-Sanremo, Fleche Wallone, The Championship of Zurich and the World Cup overall win. In 1997, with French Team Cofidis, he has won a stage at la Valenciana. Rodolfo Massi is desolate. The rider from Team Casino aimed greatly for today's stage: Tirreno-Adriatico arrives today (03/17/97) at Corinaldo (Ancona), where Massi was born and raised. But he's been ill. "This fever is stalling my legs. I have held as long as I could, but if the fever continues, I won't even be able to start the stage".

Pantani Update

After the beautiful performances at the Vuelta Murcia, Marco Pantani is preparing at home, in Cesenatico, for Milano-San Remo, the Spring Classic that will mark his Italian debut. Pantani is training in tranquillity, trying to recover physical energies and above all mental: he went from the Trofeo Luis Puig Trofeo to the Valenciana, from the Classica of Almeria to the Vuelta Murcia, it was 12 days of rather intense competition for the the captain of Mercatone Uno.

He felt a little bit tired, after the efforts at Murcia, and the Romagnolo decided not too strain too much: in four days of training he has not exceeded 120 kilometers. And Pantani is not missing the base miles either. At the end of the Vuelta Murcia, Pantani had ridden 12 thousand kilometers. The planned retreat that was planned for the team on Monday was cancelled. Pantani will have two long training rides on Tuesday and Wednesday (170/180 [km]) and then on Wednesday evening he will join his teammates at Mercatone Uno Team headquarters in Dozza, where Firday they will depart for Milano. Riding at Sanremo will be Pantani, Della Santa, Borgheresi, Beat Zberg, Artunghi, Bottaro and Traversoni: the last positions will be filled by=20 Siboni and Markus Zberg.

Zulle and ONCE

Alex Zulle, Swiss World Champion in the individual time trial, winner of la Vuelta '96 and number one in the UCI World Rankings, has prolonged by mutual agreement his contract with ONCE until the year 2000.

Cipollini

Yesterday Mario Cipollini, who abandoned Paris-Nice on Firday, went from his residence in Montecarlo to catch up with his teammates at Antibes. "I don't even know what to tell you about how I feel, but I am not well, the sore throat has come back to me yesterday and today. I have observed one day of absolute rest. Tomorrow, instead, I have intentions of doing five hours of training. I am a little bit depressed, I confess, and It's beginning to worry me".

More on Richard

Thins are worst than expected for Pascal Richard. The other day, while he trained, the Swiss was hit by a car which took a stop sign. Pascal, who in '96 won at Liege and the Olympic Road Race, has been reported with fractures of two ribs, of the hands and of the sternum. Yesterday afternoon he was operated on his right leg to remove the blood from a bruise. According to Daniel Tarsi, physician for Team Casino, Richard will be out for about two to three months and will return to competition maybe for the Tour or more probably for the end of the season.=20

More Cippo

Retired on Friday from Paris-Nice, Mario Cipollini Sunday has trained for over 5 hours. "The feelings have been good and the sore throat is clearly better. I will race at Sanremo for sure", the Tuscan explained.

Chiappucci and Zaina

Claudio Chiappucci and Enrico Zaina have been since yesterday in retreat at Manerba on the Garda. The two riders of Team Asics are preparing for Sanremo with long training rides.

Santo Blanco

In cycling people have stopped taking about blood and are talking about Blanco. "Let see if Olano starts to show himself and eclipses Blanco, if not people are not going to leave him to grow up in peace", says Jose Miguel Echevarri. The Banesto Sport Director has a lot of hope for the career of the young rider, the 22 year old who finished third overall at Paris-Nice. Ahead of him, two experts: Laurent Jalabert (ONCE), with his third consecutive win at the French race and Laurent Dufaux (Festina), the same who finished in second place at the last Vuelta, the same one who won the Pamplona stage on the last Tour.

This year's Paris-Nice didn't have a good profile for a rider like Blanco, who could be defined like Perico Delgado but not as exhibitionist. It has been a very flat race -only Mont Ventoux gave the race profile some climbs-, without any mountain finishes and a flat time trial (which was won by Ekimov at more than 53 kms/hr, with 1:03 over Blanco, 21st). Is part of his aging, says Echevarri: "He needs to age slowly. Something that only we can do. Blanco will have the chance to ride major races, starting now: Milano-San Remo, Criterium International, la Vuelta al Pais Vasco, Fleche Wallone, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, la Bicicleta Vasca and the Dauphine Libere. He has gotten used to such a schedule in his two years as an apprentice next to Indurain. "We have to take him to selected races, to face the best", says Echevarri. "That gives the young man confidence".