News for September 3 1997

New World Cup Event in Germany

Hamburg has been chosen as the venue of a new World Cup cycle race which will take place on August 16 next year, the race's organisers said on Tuesday.

The organisers said Jan Ullrich, who became the first German to win the Tour de France last July, would take part in the new race.

Kappes out for Drugs

German rider Andreas Kappes has been banned for three months after failing a dope test at the German track championships in June, the Association of German Cyclists (BDR) said on Tuesday.

Kappes, who won the points race at the championships in Cottbus, was suspended from August 4, the BDR wrote in its official publication, Radsport. It did not specifiy the substance Kappes had used.

Team Telekom 1998

Walter Godefroot, directeur sportif of the german Team Telekom, has signed another rider for 1998: Andreas Kloeden, who rode for the Radteam Berlin before. Godefroot got a tip by Peter Weibel, German national coach, who has nominated Kloeden fpr the U 23 world championships in San Sebastian in October.

Together with Jan Schaffrath, who comes from the same team (Radteam Berlin), Dirk Mueller (Bayer Worringen), Michael Blaudzun (Rabobank) and Dirk Baldiger (Polti), Kloeden is the fifth new rider in the Telekom squad. Normally, Godefroot was looking for a more experienced rider, but negotiations with Bobby Julich (Cofidis) failed.

Frank Corvers (Belgium) and Michael Lafis (Sweden) won’t get a new contract for 1998; Mario Kummer and Brian Holm will retire. Brian Holm shall play an important role in the new danish team ‘Jack & Jones’.

Team Deutsche Telekom 1998: Jan Ullrich, Bjarne Riis, Erik Zabel, Udo Boelts, Rolf Aldag, Bert Dietz, Christian Henn, Jens Heppner, Kai Hundertmarck, Giovanni Lombardi, Georg Totschnig, Steffen Wesemann, Dirk Baldinger, Michael Blaudzun, Dirk Mueller, Jan Schaffrath, Andreas Kloeden.

Ronde van Vlaanderen 1998

After having started in the Grote-Markt in Sint-Niklaas since 1977, the Ronde Van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) begins a new phase in its distinguished history next April when the start moves north-west to Brugge (Bruges). The race is scheduled to start there for 10 years, that is, until 2007. Before the start moved to Sint-Niklaas in 1977 the race had started in Gent since its inception in 1913, first in the Korenmarkt and then in Maria-Hendrikaplein.

The 1998 race will still finish in Meerbeke where it has finished since 1973. The finish town and street/velodrome have varied more than the start. In 1913 the race finished in the wielerbaan (velodrome) in Mariakerke and in 1914 in the wielerbaan at Evergem. After the First World War the race first finuished in the Arsenaal velodrome in Gentbrugge (1919-23) and then moved to the winter velodrome in Gent (1924-27). Between 1928 and 1941 the race finished in Wetteren (Jan Broeckaertlaan), returning to the Gent winter velodrome between 1942 and 1944. The race finished again in Wetteren between 1945 and 1961 (Jan Broeckaaertlaan 1945-51; Warandelaan 1952-57; Grote Markt 1958-61). The race finish moved to Gentbrugge between 1962 and 1972 (Emiel Verhaerenlaan 1962-63; Mellestraat 1964-72) before moving to the Hallebaan in Meerbeke in 1973.

Team News

French rider Benoit Salmon is to move from Belgian team Lotto to Casino-C'est votre equipe in 1998. Emmanuel Magnien is also on the move after two seasons with Festina -- to La Francaise des Jeux, where Erwan Mentheour's contract will not be renewed. News from Italy following the move of Francesco Casagrande and Masimiliano Lelli from Saeco to Cofidis include a report that Evgeni Berzin is leaving Batik for Cofidis and that 1996 Milan--San Remo winner Gabriele Colombo (also Batik) is a possible Casino signing. With Batik, MG Technogym and Refin all ending their sponsorship there are a number of other riders on the market, including MG's Michele Bartoli, who is said to have been contacted, among others by Polti and Asics. One new Italian team is so far under construction -- Ballan -- which has already signed Endrio Leoni (ex-Aki) and a neo pro, Filippo Baldo, who was econd in the Giro Baby. The winner of this amateur version of the Giro d'Italia, Oscar Mason, has been signed by Brescialat. Further north, Dutch team Foreldorado-Golff, which has been two seasons in pro racing is to disband at the end of this season.

Belgian Team for Worlds

Johan Museeuw will defend his world road title in San Sebastian with the backing of four Mapei-GB team-mates -- Frank Vandenbroucke, Tom Steels, Wilfried Peeters and Nico Mattan. Other Belgian team members named in the pre-selection by new team selector Marc Sergeant, with the help of his predecessor Eddy Merckx, are Jo PLanckaert (Lotto), Peter Van Petegem (TVM), Mario Aerts (Vlaanderen 2002) and Axel Merckx (Polti). Four other riders will be named in September.

Tour de l'Avenir Teams Announced

Twenty-four teams will take part in the Tour de l'Avenir, which begins on Septmeber 4 in Ploudaniel, Finistere, France. The teams are GAN, La Francaise des Jeux, Cofidis, Festina, BigMat Auber 93, ONCE, Euskadi, Vlaanderen 2002, TVM, Post Swiss Team, Petroleo de Colombia, ZVVZ Giant, Agro Adler, France, Canada, Norway, Netherlands, USA, Austria, Ukraine, Great Britain, a selection from Brittany and the two top French Division 1 clubs: Vendee U and Jean-Floc'h-Mantes.