News for May 6, 1997

Rolf's Diary Update

Finally home again! If only the table were not overflowing with "to take care of letters". In short a lot of work and little training, today at least.

Frankfurt (Germany), 1 May 1997

I rode the race as strong as an amateur! One of the first to get dropped. But it's probably almost better like that, now I can go on holiday quietly. If I had won I'd have a bad conscience about taking a break and would have prefered to race!

Cran Canaria, 2 - 9 May 1997

I'm sure you'll all be jealous. I'm not reachable by telephone, email, or any other way. I'm on holiday and am there for me and my family! Greetings to the cold rest of the world, Rolf

Translated by David Wear

Liege-Bastogne-Liege for Espoirs, May 1 1997

(12th Luik-Bastenaken-Luik for U23)

Race distance: 180 km:

  1. Christian Poos	(Lux)	Eq. nat. du Luxembourg (Lux)
  2. Karsten Kroon	(Ned)	Rabobank (Ned)			+ 0.20
  3. Ondress Sosenka	(Tch)	Mobililissone Mapei (Ita)
  4. Bas Van Hest	(Bel)	KWV Turnhout (Bel)		+ 1.00
  5. Franck Pencoli	(Fra)	VC St-Quentin (Fra)
  6. Bert De Waele	(Bel)	Noyau National RLVB (Bel)
  7. Karel Vereecke	(Bel)	WC Eddy Merckxboys (Bel)
  8. Thierry De Groote	(Bel)	Pom'Deli Beveren (Bel)
  9. Regis Gaudin	(Fra)	Wasquehal (Fra)
 10. Jimmy Casper	(Fra)	VC St-Quentin (Fra)
 11. Manu L'Hoir	(Bel)	Giant-Poortland (Bel)
 12. Geoffrey Clochez	(Fra)	Wasquehal (Fra)
 13. Yann Pivois	(Fra)	Wasquehal (Fra)
 14. Gunther Stockx	(Bel)	Josan Delhaize CT (Bel)
 15. Henk Van Hees	(Ned)	Jonge Renner (Ned)
 16. Maurizio Tovaglieri(Ita)	Mobililissone Mapei (Ita)

194 riders on the start.

The race covered 180 kms. over six "Cotes":
 1. Cote de Liivreux
 2. Cote de Saint-Roche
 3. Cote de Mormont
 4. Cote de Wanne
 5. Cote de la Redoute
 6. Cote de Chambralle

kind thanks to Serge Poos

Budapest, Mountain bike. World Cup, Cross Country

Men (55 km):

 1. Dupouey (Fra)                    2:18:49
 2. Evans (Aust) 			0:33
 3. Martinez (Fra)			1:06 
 4. Frischknecht (Switz) 		1:46 
 5. Dubau (Fra) 			2:23 
 6. Meirhaeghe (Bel) 			2:34 
 7. Rasmussen (Den) 			2:39
 8. Brenes (Kro) 			2:48
 9. Pallhuber (Ita) 			3:01
10. Clarke (GB) 			4:08

Standings after 4 of 10 races:

 1. Evans 				361 points
 2. Dupouey 				346
 3. Dubau 				308
 4. Hoydahl (Nor) 			271
 5. Baker (GB) 				254
 6. Martinez 				251
 7. Chiotti (Fra) 			249
 8. Pallhuber 				238
 9. Frischknecht 			233
10. Herrisset (Fra) 			230

Women (38 km):
  
 1. Dunlap (USA) 		     1:37:49
 2. Pezzo (Ita) 			1:16 
 3. de Negri (Ita) 			1:48
 4. Daucourt (Switz) 			2:44
 5. Sydor (Can) 				2:54
 6. Fullana Riera (Spa) 		2:55

Standings after 4 of 10 races:

 1. Pezzo 				290
 2. Sydor 				256
 3. Dunlap 				237
 4. de Negri 				224
 5. Tomlinson (Can) 			221
 6. Daucourt 				194

Some news from Denmark

Since January, when Johny Weltz had all 17 riders together in a 12 days training camp for the first time its been hard work. Together with riders like Adriano Baffi, Vjatjeslav Jekimov, George Hincapie, Jean-Cyril Robin and Peter Meinert the danish director sportif should turn the the team into one of the worlds leading cykling team.

Johny Weltz choked the first time he met the core of the team from last season. "I didnt believe my eyes. It was a spoiled bunch of riders that wanted to determine everything themselves. They were used to stop and drink coffee and eat donoughts during the training rides. I had to make it clear to them that training was not cruising around for 1= hour with sun lotion and modern sun glasses."

"There used to be no structure in their training methods or racing activities. So we had to start from the beginning again." Together with the new doctor we created a training schedule and diet plans for each individual rider.

Johny Weltz does not hide that he expects an effort from all riders. When Eddy Gragus shortly before the finish of an stage in a Spanish race got into the broom car he was close to being fired. "It was cold and had just started to rain but that attitude to our sport is not acceptable. I pulled him aside and told him he might as well go home now. In Europe you dont race for your own pleasure. In 99 of 100 times the broom car is empty and then I dont want my riders to start filling it up just because it hurts a little bit."

Behind the team is the US investment company Montgomery Securities, San Francisco. The company is headed by Tom Weisel who also has an active cycling career behind him. His goal is that the US Postal team during the next couple of years establishes itself as one of the 3-4 best teams in the world. He also realises that this cant be done in one year and is willing to give it the needed time. Part of the ambition is getting in on the Tour de France this year. Johny Weltz has spoken to Tour manager Jean-Marie Leblanc. "He is positive and we are now following a program which as basis has the Tour as our main objective. I have the 9 riders ready and I believe that the team is strong enough both to win stages and have one rider among the top 15."

"Later we will use the Vuelta Espana as a good race for the young riders to give them experience and stamina."