Second Edition News for September 5 1997
Wilfried Nelissen to France?
The teams La Française des Jeux (Marc Madiot) and Cofidis (Cyrille Guimard)
both want to contract the Belgium champion Wilfried Nelissen.
Nelissen fell on April 10 1996 in Gent-Wevelgem. It took 15 months before
he could make his comeback in the peloton.
He signed for the small Belgium team Palmans. On August 1 1997, he won his
first kermesse race in Buggenhout.
He can make more than double the salary in France than he is presently earning
Palmans.
No comeback for Peter Post
Peter Post (61) will come back to the cycling peloton. "No team leader
or manager anymore. I will follow the sport via television and newspapers." Post
said.
Post ended his active role in the pelotonat the end 1994 after 23 years.
He started as team leader in 1973 and won the World Cup 7 times. With Peter
Post, Joop Zoetemelk won the Tour de France and Gerrie Knetemann and Jan
Raas both became World Road Champions.
Francois Lemarchand To Retire
GAN rider Francois Lemarchand, who is 37 soon, is to retire in September
after 13 years as a pro. His last races will be the GP de Fourmies
(September 14) and GP d'Isbergues (September 21). Lemarchand turned pro for
Fagor in 1985, moving to Z (1989-92) and then GAN (since 1993). His best
year was 1990 when he won the Tour de Vendee, a stage of the Quatre Jours de
Dunkerque and a stage of the GP Midi Libre. He rode 14 big Tours (10 Tours
de France, 2 Giri d'Italia, 2 Vueltas a Espana), finishing them all.
Jimenez To Stay With Banesto, Casero To Leave
Spanish climber Jose Maria Jimenez has signed a new two-year contract with
Banesto despite extremely attractive offers from other teams. He will
receive a salary of 60 million pesetas (approx £ sterling 250,000) but had
been offered twice as much by ONCE. But his team-mate Angel-Luis Casero, the
1994 Tour de l'Avenir winner, is said to be on the point of signing for the
new Spanish team Seguros Vitalicio.