Second Edition News for May 8, 1997

Miguel and the UCI Rankings

Even though Spaniard Miguel Indurain retired, he still hasn't disappeared from the UCI World Rankings and has even gone up a few places, said today the French sport newspaper, "L'Equipe". In an article titled "How far will Indurain climb?", the newspaper reminds us that when Indurain retired last January 2nd, he occupied the 14th position in the UCI Rankings, with 1.211 pts. On April 27, Indurain occupied the 13th place with 1.062 pts. and before that on April 21, he had climbed to number 10, without having participated in any races.

This curious occurrence is due to the UCI rules of classification, which are very similar to the ones by the Professional Tennis Player's Association (ATP), which takes into account the results of cyclists in the last 52 weeks. After explaining the complex system which penalizes the cyclist if their results are worst than last season, the newspaper indicates that this system has advantages and disadvantages, but for the Spanish cyclist, they are all benefits right now. Frederic Rey, responsible for the classification, answers the question of why the retired riders don't automatically disappear from the classification, which is just their choice. "It wouldn't be fair for a rider that wants to return from retirement to start from zero", explains and adds, "anyway with this system those riders in a year will reach zero". "Indurain is a particular case because he was high in the classification. But that will only last eight months. Then he will go down and disappear. For injured riders, the situation is the same. We couldn't retire Marco Pantani or Lance Armstrong. Plus with Indurain we are talking of a matter of prestige, because we just couldn't take him off", he said.

Fabrizio Guidi

A moment of fear for Fabrizio Guidi (Scrigno-Gaerne) while he trained in the company of his brother Leonardo, di Calzolari and an amateur Ronchi. The small group had words with a truck driver because of a visibility problem. The truck driver struck Ronchi in the head with an object: the amateur was attended at Pronto Soccorso di Pontedera. Guidi and the others placed a complain with the authorities.

Mercatone Uno at the GIRO

The Mercatone Uno team has chosen the riders that will go side by side with Marco Pantani to the Giro d'Italia, which will start on May 17 in Venice and finish on June for end on June 8 in Milan. The decision was taken after a meeting between the managers of the sporting group and the sport director Giuseppe Martinelli and Alessandro Giannelli.

Going to the Giro, other than Marco Pantani, will be Simone Borgheresi, Sergio Barbero, Roberto Conti, Stefano Garzelli, Massimo Podenzana, Mario Traversoni and Oscar Pellicioli. There are still two places left (the team for the Giro are composed by ten men) and the sport director Martinelli will decide the last two names after the result of the Tour of Romandie, the last test before the pink race. Battling for the last two positions will be Dario Bottaro, Stefano Della Santa, Marcello Siboni and Davide Dall'Olio.

Kelme-Costa Blanca - GIRO Team

BUENAHORA Hernan; CABELLO Francisco; SERRANO Marcos; RUBIERA Jose Luis; EDO Angel; VIDAL Jose Angel; GONZALEZ Arsenio; DOMINGUEZ Juan Carlos; GOMEZ GONZALO Javier; GONZALES 'Chepe'

The only rider in doubt right now if the Team Captain, Colombian Hernan Buenahora, who has had intestinal problems: his director, Alvaro Pino is certain that he will be OK, if not he will be substituted by young Spaniard, Severo Rodriguez.

The GIRO nears

The grass grows high, the green becomes more intense and the days lengthen. The Giro is in the air. Most of the favorites for the Giro are present at the Tour of Romandy, with the exception of Eugene Berzin who has preferred to prepare in splendid Portuguese isolation. Pavel Tonkov, Marco Pantani, Ivan Gotti, Enrico Zaina, Luc Leblanc, Piotr Ugrumov, Claudio Chiappucci, Gianni Bugno, Gilberto Simoni, Gabriele Colombo and Giuseppe Di Grande are together here in Northern Switzerland, together with Tony Rominger, Laurent Dufaux, Mauro Gianetti and Davide Rebellin, who comes from his success at the Trofeo dei Grimpeurs. As it is tradition, Romandie is the last bunch of kilometers (760.3 in all) and above all of climb (6.875 meters of gradient) before the pink race.

Tonkov getting ready

Pavel Tonkov, winner of the Giro in '96, appears nervous, because he still haven't found success this season to comfort him during the great job of preparation. Last year, here at Romandie, he won the first stage at Vue Alpes, ahead of Richard. The Russian from Mapei-GB has already shown himself at the Giro di the Trentino and was amongst the protagonists also Sunday at Gippingen. "I'm going strongly, the fracture of my left hand is no longer a problem. But I will wonly be satisfied when I am able to win a race. I'm feelings the same as last year, if not better. Saturday, at the finish on the Cot di Veysonnaz, I want to test myself".

Bugno suffering

There are problems for Gianni Bugno though, who complains of pains on the ribs. "I fell at the last stage at Trentino and hit my left side of my abdomen -says the two times champion of the world-. The examinations (x-rays) show nothing, but I'm in pain and have a hard time breathing. I have caught an annoying cold also. I hope that it passes in hurry, I hold a lot for the Giro".

Pantani looks for clues

Disappointed by his behavior in Trentino, Marco Pantani is looking for new indications here at Romandie. "I knew that sooner or later I would have a decrease in output, I had taken it into account -says the Romagnolo of Team Mercatone Uno-. What concerns is how my body is going to react here in Switzerland, but I don't expect miracles. If I get dropped in the mountains, like at Trentino, I won't be a player".

Zaina to test himself

Enrico Zaina, second place finisher at last year's Giro, will test himself. "I want to win a stage, maybe Saturday's with the mountain top finish -says the climber from Team Asics-. At Trentino I made a beautiful attack, at the stage of St. Pellegrino, since then I have improved and with a little luck I could win at Lienz. Now no one can hide, everybody has to show themselves. I hope to have a good time, to finish up the preparation. Tonkov and Leblanc will be the points of reference here, like at the Giro". With Zaina there will also be Claudio Chiappucci, who once again wears the clothes of an attacker.

Ivan Gotti

Ivan Gotti, leader of Saeco, plans five days of racing for preparation for the Giro d'Italia. "I have done everything that has been required and I am more that satisfied with how I raced at Trentino -he explains-. I am still a little bit behind in regards to Tonkov and Leblanc, but I am calm. I'm not looking for a particular test, I only want to progress according to my own program".