Miguel picks his Tour FavouritesIt is difficult to speak about Abraham Olano without also bringing up the subject of Miguel Indurain. But Indurain has talked about the next Tour and not talked about Abraham Olano, his succesor as leader at Banesto & one of the favorites for the Tour, according to most experts. "I have one favorite for the Tour, Bjarne Riis, followed by Ullrich & Pantani", declared the Navarran yesterday. Indurain, in the company of his wife and son, spent the day at Eurodisney, close to Paris, where in company of the other living five Tour winners, Frenchman Bernard Hinault & Belgian Eddy Merckx, he covered the route of the last time trial of the coming Tour. Merckx & Hinault coincided with Indurain with making Riis their favorite to win the Tour. Indurain also informed that he had rejected the offer by Banesto to have a lifetime job at the bank. "The conversations broke up, we couldn't reach an agreement", he said.Miguel Indurain InterviewQ. How do you spend the days?A. "Home, with my child who at 18 months has taken his first pedal on the tricycle, with my wife who tries to get used to having me always at her side. I do 60-70 km a day as a cycle-tourist, I go hunting, I see friends: I try to live, or have the life that I always dreamed to be able to have. I certainly follow cycling. One of this days I will go to Italy to visit my friends at the Giro, I also will go to the Tour in order to honor the memory of Anquetil". Q. Have you had job offers? A. "So many, but I have refused them all. I have had proposal for me doing politics, or be an ambassador for Spanish sport and to be a TV commentator. For me to be happy, it is not necessary for me to under the spotlight". Q. Have you thought in the last few months that you could have continued for one more year? A. "No. I had 2 or 3 interesting proposals: from Italy and from France, but at 32 years old, it was time to stop and free some space for the younng riders". Q. Are you following the Giro? A. "I Read the newspapers. Unfortunately, the Spanish TV looks down on the pink race. I have known of Pantani, but I am sure that he will recover soon; of Cipollini's wins; of Tonkov and of Leblanc who I think could create the surprise in the last stages of the Giro". Q. Has cycling changed in the last months? A. "No, despite all the things that are being said, it remains a noble sport. But it is truth that we are living a period of transition. Hinault has become the executive, Merckx the industrialist, Bugno is no more the same, Chiappucci is no more a little devil, I am retired, but to me, there are at least ten excellent riders coming up. Who? Pantani, for example". Q. Who will he win the Giro? A. "I Think that Leblanc still has a part to play". Q. Is it the Tour? A. "I don't know. But I can tell you that the next World Champion will be an Italian. I am collaborating with the organizers of the worlds and the layout seems to be me made to measure for one of your riders who I appreciate and esteem". UCI hits backThe International Cycling Union (UCI) on Thursday hit back at suggestions that its new blood testing system was flawed. The French L'Equipe sports daily claimed on Wednesday that a French television station had been able to film blood tests, and that riders knew in advance that they would be tested.The tests are designed to limit the level of red cells in the blood as part of the fight against the use of EPO, which is used to increase oxygen-carrying red blood cell levels to enhance endurance. A statement issued by the UCI refuted the claims, accusing L'Equipe of "a scandalous act of bad faith" and adding that the television crew had never been given permission to film the tests. "The UCI deplores the fact that it was not contacted before the article was written in order to give more precise information," the statement said. "The television team was told only that they could follow the race for a week." UCI WORLD TRACK CUP, May 29, Lehigh Valley Velodrome, Trexlertown, Pa. - Day One:Russian Galina Enioukhina earned her second World Cup win of the young season as she won the womens 500 meters Thursday at the opening event at the second round of the UCI World Track Cup at Lehigh Valley Velodrome.Enioukhina, 37, won the 500 meters in 36.516 seconds, topping Olympic individual pursuit champion Antonella Bellutti of Italy by 0.347 seconds. The Russian won the match sprint at the opening round of the World Track Cup last week in Cali, Colombia. That event begins Friday in Trexlertown. American Nicole Reinhart, 20, of nearby Macungie, Pa., was seventh with a time of 37.721 seconds. Reinhart is competing in her first World Cup on American soil. In other action, Darryn Hill (Australia), the 1995 world sprint champion, qualified first in that event and moved into the round. American Marty Nothstein, Trexlertown, Pa., qualified second and also moved easily into the second round as did Marcelo Arrue, Alburtis, Pa. Nothstein won the sprint and keirin competitions at the opening round of the World Cup in Cali. Repeating the final results from the Cali World Cup, Russian Alexei Markov and American Christian Vande Velde, Lemont, Ill., qualified first and second, respectively, in the mens individual pursuit. The duo will square off in tonights final. Tonights action will also include the womens points race final and the mens kilometer time trial. Action at the second of six World Cups continues through Saturday, May 31.
Womens 500 Meters 1. GALINA ENIOUKHINA (Russia), 36.516 secs; 2. Antonella Belutti (Italy), 36.863; 3. Michelle Ferris (Australia), 37.201; 4. Tanya Dubnicoff (Canada), 37.418; 5. Magali Marie Faure (France), 37.458; 6. Daniela Larreal (Venezuela), 37.638; 7. Nicole Reinhart, Macungie, Pa., 37.721; 8. Yumari Gonzalez Valdinieso (Cuba), 37.801; 9. Ulrike Weichelt (Germany), 37.894; 10. Fiona Ramage (New Zealand), 37.940. Italian Team MovementsEmanuele Bombini doesn't have any intention of leaving cycling, on the contrary. The only manager of Batik-Del Monte is speaking with quality riders (Michele Bartoli and Roberto Petito) to reinforce the team for next year.Bombini, disappointed with the performance of his riders, has looked at the possibilty of releasing riders like Eugene Berzin, Nicola Minali and Gabriele Colombo. "With them -says Bombini- I have a contract until next year and I am appraising the proposals of other sponsor". Roberto Petito has already reached an agreement with Saeco. Michele Bartoli has contacted Saeco and Rabobank, but he wants to stay with Giancarlo Ferretti (MG). Mercatone Uno is looking for a young climber to place next to Marco Pantani like: Leonardo Piepoli or Giuseppe Di Grande (who will probably stay at Mapei-GB). Dutch District Time Trial ChampionshipsOverijssel (Lemelerveld): 1. Wolfkamp (Raalte) 27 km in 38.14 2. Legtenberg (Markelo) 0.06 3. Jentink (Zwolle) 0.12 Gelderland (Dodewaard): 1. Patrick van Dijken (Dodewaard) 36 km in 40.25 2. Van Bon (Apeldoorn) 1.10 3. Dennis van Dijken (Dodewaard) 1.15 Noord-Brabant (Hank): 1. Gunst (Putte) 35 km in 44.15 2. Van Elphen (Rucphen) 0.07 3. Hey (Veghel) 0.20 Noord-Holland (Wieringerwerf): 1. Duyn (Bakkum) 42 km in 58.06 2. Mey (Purmerend) 1.10 3. Konijn (Hoorn) 1.15 Women: 1. Vermast (Amsterdam) 21 km in 33.18 2. Leine (Alkmaar) 0.04 3. Van Moorsel (Rotterdam) 0.18 |