News for March 1, 1997

Rominger hour test

Tony Rominger will test in Bordeaux (7-8 April), Manchester (10-11 April) and Mexico City (15 April) in preparation for this attack on the world hour-record. Tony Rominger says he wants to make a test for 55 kilometers. In that case, he shall attack the world record of 56,375 kilometer (Chris Boardman) in October or November this year

Olano and the UCI Rankings

Abraham Olano (Banesto) occupies the seventh position in the World Rankings of the UCI and is the highest rated Spaniard, while already retired Miguel Indurain, is in 13th position. By teams, Mapei is first, Telekom second and ONCE is third. Frenchman Laurent Jalabert (ONCE) is first in the classification with 2043 pts, followed by Swiss Alex Zulle 2005. Italian Michele Bartoli is the main beneficiary from the first races of the season and has ascended to third posiion with 1575 followed by current Tour de France champion, Dane Bjarne Riis with 1565.

Individual UCI Rankings (as of February 23rd):

 1. Laurent Jalabert (FRA)            2.043
 2. Alex Zulle (SWI)                  2.005
 3. Michele Bartoli (ITA)             1.575
 4. Bjarne Riis (DEN)                 1.565
 5. Johan Museew (BEL)                1.535
 6. Richard Virenque (FRA)            1.495
 7. Abraham Olano (SPA)               1.391
 8. Tony Rominger (SWI)               1.358
 9. Francesco Casagrande (ITA)        1.348
10. Lance Amstrong (USA)              1.315
11. Andrea Tafi (ITA)                 1.231
12. Davide Rebellin (ITA)             1.219
13. Miguel Indurain (SPA)             1.211
14. Chris Boardman (GBR)              1.180
15. Fabrizio Guidi (ITA)              1.179

Others:

18. Fabio Baldato (ITA)               1.040
19. Laurent Dufaux (SWI)              1.003
20. Erik Zabel (GER)                    991
21. Laurent Brochard (FRA)              916
30. Eugeni Berzin (RUS)                 752
36. Luc Leblanc (FRA)                   716

Team Classification:

 1. Mapei (ITA)                    8.471
 2. Telekom (GER)                  6.581
 3. ONCE (SPA)                     6.557
 4. Festina (FRA)                  5.898
 5. Cofidis (FRA)                  4.970
 7. Roslotto (RUS)                 4.550
 8. MG (ITA)                       4.158
 9. Saeco (SMR)                    4.010
10. TVM (HOL)                      3.777
11. Rabobank (HOL)                 3.745

OTHERS:
14. Banesto (SPA)                  3.014
22. Kelme (SPA)                    2.079

Fondriest, a liberation

Fondriest, old lion. At the ramp of Calpe, returns one of the most precious talents of cycling, a thoroughbred who at 32 years still is able to make impressive athletic demonstrations. Pride and class, athletic preparation and motivations: that is the mixture which again has brought success to the man from Trento, giving the his new team, the French Cofidis, the first victory of the season.

At only 500 meters from the line with Della Santa, Swedish Andersson and Gontchenkov, from a group of the best he has thrown himself like a bullet toward the finish line, which was situated at the end of a straight in appreciable ascent. "This really is one of those finishes that I have always preferred -said the happy winner- and in fact, before the curve that lead to the straight, I attacked, sort of like something that Jalabert would do. There were a few meters left before the finish, as I have forced the tempo. I was out in the wind last 300 meters, but I have made use of it and I am happy: ours is a new team, this success helps the morale of everybody".

Fondriest was beaming, just like his sport director Bernard Quilfen, who went up to Fondriest and gave him a kiss like had just won a Classic. But we can understand them: Cofidis has bet on Fondriest, a rider of class who came from a tormented season, with just two victories in time trials of second tier. Starting yesterday, the investment starts to pay. "I'm already an asset, I can say that I have already won half of the races that I won last year -Fondriest jokes-.

But I had bad luck in '96, between the falls and the illness, I have not been able to reach a satisfactory condition. I have a great desire of returning to the top level, so that November 10 I have started to go to the gym and to pedal on my Mountain Bike. Then, from the first of December, I have climbed again on the bike, continuing with the gym in order to strengthen the muscles that support the back. When the years pass, you need to find the strength to train even more if one wants to remain at peak. And I want to. I can say that I'm satisfied with the form I've reached, also because I continue to improve". "I hadn't won a race that wasn't a ITT since I won the Luigiane stage at the Giro '95: for me it has been liberating".

Sicily Weekend of Racing

Great cycling weekend in Sicily: The 22nd Trofeo Pantalica will be disputed Saturday and Sunday the 17th Giro dell'Etna. The two races are organized by the Gazzetta dello Sport. The are 15 teams registered for the two races, all of them Italian: MG-Technogym, Aki-Safi, Amore&Vita-ForzArcore, Asics, Batik-Del Monte, Brescialat, Cantina Tollo-Carrier, Refin-Mobilvetta, Mercatone Uno, Kross-Montanari, Ros Mary, Roslotto-ZG Mobili, Saeco, Scrigno-Gaerne, Team Polti. Some of the riders present will be: Francesco Frattini, Fabio Baldato, Fabrizio Guidi, Gabriele Colombo and Gabriele Balducci.