First Edition News for November 15
More Cyclo Cross Reporting
VARIANO DI BASILIANO (Udine)
Results - Round 3 - Sundat November 13, 1995
1. Luca BRAMATI (Ita A) km 26,200 in 1.03'55"
2. Wim De Vos (Ola) at 33"
3. Beat Wabel (Svi) at 49"
4. Simunek (Rep. Ceca) at 56"
5. Groenendaal (Ola) at 1'01"
6. Herijgers (Bel) at 1'12"
7. Vervecken (Bel) at 1'25"
8. Lukes (Rep. Ceca) at 1'28"
9. Van Santvliet (Bel) at 1'49"
15. Pontoni (Ita A) at 2'52"
WORLD CUP STANDINGS (After 3 Events)
1. Luca BRAMATI (Ita) 60 points
2. Groenendaal (Ola) 41
3. De Vos (Ola) 32
4. Wabel (Svi) 31
5. Chiotti (Fra) 25
NEXT ROUND:
December 2, 1995 in Prague/Praga/Praha
COMMENTARY:
By: Nino Minoliti
Guest Correspondent
VARIANO DI BASILIANO (Udine) -
Eight 'cross rides with 5 wins, 2 seconds and a third.
Exceptional results for the new Golden Boy of Italian cyclo-cross.
The last show that the Bergamo resident put on was yesterday
(Sunday) "on stage", so to speak, at Variano di Basiliano, near
UDINE in the NorthEast of Italy, close to the Yugoslavian border
where the third leg of the World 'Cross Cup was being disputed. And
what a show Bramati put on.
Like a star of the first magnitude, Bramati took second position
right at the start and stayed there until he picked his time to
take the lead and solo in for the win.
At the end of the race Bramati relatively easily held off De Vos,
Groenendaal, Wabel, Simunek, Van Santvliet, Lukes and Markwalder
who were all awaiting their chance to grab the lead if they
possibly could.
After Luca Bramati changed bikes, Wabel thought he saw a chance as
Bramati was slightly delayed by the bike change and Wabel launched
a determined attack.
Said Luca, "But I only had to grab his wheel and let him pull me
along. One lap is all it took to put the Swiss in his place! He was
the one who launched the attack, and he was the one who gave up. To
win in Italy, and to beat such adversaries gives me great
satisfaction."
The standard bearer of the Selle Italia-Colnago squad, riding in
blue yesterday because the World Cup is disputed by National teams,
wore an Italian tricolour bandanna around his neck.
Thanks to mountain bike riding and training with Gregori, Bramati
is much improved. He habitually spends three hours at competition
pace on the mountain bike then then one hour on his 'cross bike
riding "at maximum." Rest and psychological preparation are also
part of his training schedule. He explains, " I don't want to talk
about winning the World Cup. There's still a long road ahead. And I
know that De Vos and Wabel will be trying hard."
Whilst Bramati was having a wonderful day, Italian Champion
'Crosser, Daniele Pontoni was having the opposite. All he could
manage was 15th place at 2'52" behind his friend the victor. In
tears, Pontoni admitted that with his 15th place finish, his
chances of winning the World Cup were slim indeed. But he
congratulated Bramati for saving the day for Italy.
Source: la Gazetta dello Sport
MAPEI-GB
MILANO -
There was a reunion of sorts for the powerful Mapei-GB squad after
the presentation of the 1996 Giro in Milan last Saturday.
Conferring with the "Patron", Squinzi were team managers Bartolozzi
and Crespi; directeurs sportives Fabbri, Juan Fernandez and
Lefevere; medical staff Benjamin Fernandez, Rempi, Sassi and Van
Mol.
What were they talking about?
They were analyzing their 70 successes of the 1995 season, and the
three most notable successes; Rominger's Giro, Olano's World
Championship and Museeuw's World Cup. They were also speculating
about the Major Tours on the 1996 calendar, and what success they
might have in the classics with their one-day specialists, Museeuw,
Ballerini and Bortolami.
Looking ahead, Olano, currently in the Dominican Republic, is
trying to convince Rominger that Indurain can be beaten in the
Tour, and feels sure that if Rominger could have the form in July
of 1996 that he had in May and June of 1995, he could win the Tour.