News for October 2, 1997

Last race for Erik Breukink on October 26

Erik Breukink will make his last official race on October 26. Breukink (33) who is with the Rabobank team will start in the Brinta Beach Classic, a beach race at the Dutch coast from Scheveningen - Noordwijk - Scheveningen.

Other starters: Voskamp, Den Bakker, Nelissen and Boogerd. With a mountainbike-background Olympic champion Bart Brentjens and Lennie Kristensen, winner of the Tour de France for mountainbikers, will start.

A little note from Bill about Scheveningen. During the second world war, with the infiltration of Germans into the Dutch resistance, the one way they could test whether a suspect was Dutch or German was to ask them (in some little test situation) to say the word - "Scheveningen". I am imagine they gave the guy some information about a bike race in Scheveningen and then someone else approached him and said something like - "Hey Fritz, where is the bike racing this weekend?", to which the unsuspecting Fritz replied "Scheveningen". They then shot him. It turns out that it contains sounds ("sch") which the Germans just cannot replicate. Neat eh?

Spinal chord lesion for Gert-Jan Theunisse

It seems Gert-Jan Theunisse has a spinal chord lesion after his accident during training in France a few weeks ago. Theunisse has a (Dutch =) 'lombale dwarsleasie'; this means he has lost some function in his body. The trainer of mountain biker Bart Brentjens has a paralysed left-leg; and the muscle functions in his lower back, stomach and hip are absent. In the beginning his right-leg was also paralysed but this has recovered for 60 percent.

Doctors say Gert-Jan Theunisse will not get back 100 percent use of his body. Next week he will start therapy in a rehabilitation-centre in Nijmegen.

Eric Dekker pulls out of Worlds

Erik Dekker will not join the Dutch team in the WC in San Sebastian. He fell in the Tour of Puglia and has a broken hand. National coach Gerrie Knetemann called Maarten den Bakker in as a replacement. Knetemann is looking for another time trial rider.

Bolts to lead Germans at Worlds

Udo Bölts is the leader of the German road team for the Worlds. The German equipe: Dietz, Henn,Hundertmarck, Kummer, Henrix, Jaksche, Wüst, Klier, Gottschling, Zemke and Steinhauser.

GP Berlare Belgium - 160 km

107 riders
 
 1. Andy De Smet (Bel)
 2. A. Vierhouten (Ned)
 3. F. Hoj (Den)
 4. M. Van der Wolf (Bel)
 5. E. Torfs (Bel)

Stive Vermaut signs with Vlaanderen 2002

Stive Vermaut (22), who rode last week as a stagiair with Vlaanderen 2002 in the GP Wilhelm Tell, signed with this team of Roger Swerts on Wednesday. Vermaut was in this GP the best Belgian rider with a 12th place. After Kristof Trouve and Leif Hoste Vermaut is the third neoprof for Vlaanderen 2002.

Verbruggen to retire

Hein Verbruggen (56) will stop with his functions in the sport over the next four years. He is president of the UCI and member of the International Olympic Committee. "Next week i will tell all parties to look for somebody else in 2001."

Bomans for Vandenbroucke at Worlds

Carlo Bomans replaces Frank Vandenbroucke in the Belgian selection for the road WC. National coach Sergeant prefers Bomans for Bruyneel; because Bomans is a team mate of Johan Museeuw. The world champion can count too on Steels, Peeters and Mattan.

Gazelle to co-sponsor Dutch team

Cycle factory Gazelle is to become the co-sponsor of the amateur team Golff. The team of Frits Schur will use the name Golff-Gazelle next season. The riders include Jan de Leeuw, Dennis Hey and Jan van Velzen. New in this team are ex-prof Michel Cerneus (ex-Foreldorado-Golff) and Robert Coppers (ex-Agu)