Second Edition News for October 16, 1997

Transfers and Contracts

- Bergamascan Wladimir Belli will leave Team Brescialat-Oyster: to ride in '98 with French Team Festina, which will include Alex Zülle, Richard Virenque and new World Champion Laurent Brochard. Twenty-seven year old Belli, won the Baby Giro d'Italia in 1990. Since becoming Pro he has won at la Settimana Bergamasca '94, Giro dell'Appennino and Giro del Trentino in '96: this year he was third at the Edolo stage at the Giro d'Italia, behind Pavel Tonkov & Ivan Gotti.

- Franco Chioccioli will leave Saeco and will ride for Mobilvetta (which will be the name of current team Refin-Mobilvetta for 1998), where he will join climber Leonardo Piepoli.

- Team Ballan, the new Professional team directed by Flavio Miozzo, has Nicola Loda, Carlo Finco & Matteo Tosatto for 1998.

- Domenico Cavallo will start next year as assistant director for Spanish Team Vitalicio Seguros under Sports director Xavier Minguez. Last season he worked for Refin-Mobilvetta.

Lance Rumour

It is unconfirmed but the story about to come out is that Lance Armstrong has signed with US Postal after Cofidis dumped him last week for being disloyal.

Berzin and the Hour

Russian Eugeni Berzin will attempt to beat the Hour Record on Sunday at Bordeaux. The current record is held by British Chris Boardman, who established it on September 6, 1997 with a distance of 56.375 km.

Sorensen at Lombardia

Rolf Sörensen will be the guest of the UCI at the Giro di Lombardia next Saturday. The injured Sorensen is still leader of the World Cup races. Second is Michele Bartoli on 35 points. Just after the last World Cup race of this season the winner will be honoured. A spokesman of Rabobank said: "The chance Sorensen will win is small, but the UCI has invited him for the outcome. And Sorensen lives in Italy."

The Rabobank team for the Giro di Lombardia is: Leon van Bon, Max van Heeswijk, Koos Moerenhout, Danny Nelissen, Aart Vierhouten, Michael Boogerd, Danny Jonasson and Erik Breukink.

For Erik Breukink this race is the last one on the road as a professial rider.