Pantani will ride the GiroMarco Pantani gave Italian cycling fans what they had been waiting all year for on Friday, when the best climber in the sport said he will ride this month's Giro d'Italia.Pantani, only now returning after a bad crash two years ago, said that his pride would not let him pass up the country's biggest race. "It would be like turning down the challenge," he said, despite the absence of big names like Miguel Indurain, Laurent Jalabert, Bjarne Riis and Alex Zulle. "It will still be a great Giro, there'll be plenty of tension and plenty of battles, you'll see," he said. "People have been talking a lot about Pantani over the past few months, and now everyone's got it in for me a bit. "They'll attack me as soon as they can." He also dismissed his poor finish -- nine minutes adrift of winner Luc Leblanc -- in this week's Tour of Trentino. "The problem is simple," he said. "Usually, all those who are preparing for the Giro take things easy in February. But I needed to show what I was capable of, to find out who I was. I had to push myself to the limit while they were just treating it like training. "And now they are seeing the fruits of that, while I feel tired. But I had no alternative." And he quipped: "Psychologically, I'm a tough guy." Pantani will prepare for the Giro, which starts in Venice on May 17 and finishes in Milan on June 8, with the forthcoming Tour of Romandy. Dubbed the 'Little Elephant' for his shaved head and protruding ears, Pantani made his mark on the pro scene in 1994 -- finishing second in the Tour of Italy and third in the Tour de France. He won two stages on the Tour de France in 1995 and was third in the world championships before suffering a badly broken leg in October, 1995 when he was hit by a car while riding in the Milan-Turin. The 27-year-old, who at one stage feared his career was over, has ridden well in the past three months, despite missing out on a race victory. "I've had quite a few very good places," he said. "The moment I realised I was still a cycle racer was when I left everyone behind in a climb during the Tour of Spain in Murcia and finished the stage second. "But second place behind Zulle in the Basque Country time trial, fifth in the Fleche Wallonne, eighth in the Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the nearly 300 points I've won -- were all minor victories," he said. MoncassinFrederic Moncassin starts in the Amsterdam Rai Dernyrace on May 18. Moncassin (this year second in the Tour of Vlaanderen and 8th in Paris-Roubaix) is coming over with his Australian GAN-mates Henk Vogels and Stuart O'Grady.Danny Jonasson - Rolf Sorenson's NephewDanny Jonasson signed a contract with the Rabobank team until the end of 1998 on Friday. Jan Raas heard from Rolf Sorensen about his nephew Danny. He has been with the Danish national team since 1993. At the last WC, Danny Jonasson came 13th in the under 23 category.He will make his debut for Rabobank in the GP Kanton Aargau in Switzerland next Sunday. After that he will start in the Tour of Romandie. |