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2002 Road World Championships - CM
Hasselt-Zolder, Belgium, October 8-13, 2002
World Championships news for October 12, 2002
Edited by Jeff Jones
Day 4 wrap up
The first two road races were decided today in Zolder, namely the Junior Women's and U23 Men's events. The former, held in chilly but sunny conditions, was dominated by the Dutch team who managed to lead out Suzanne de Goede for victory in the bunch sprint. The latter was, as expected, a very fast and aggressive race, finishing in another bunch sprint with Italian Francesco Chicchi claiming the win.
Tomorrow will see the Junior Men's race 9:30 CEST followed by the Elite Women at 13:30, both races being over 10 laps (128 km) of the circuit. Join us at 9:30 CEST (00:30 PDT/03:30 EDT/17:30 Aust. EST) for complete live coverage of both races.
Under 23 Men's RR - Full results &
report, Live report
Junior Women's RR - Full results &
report, Live report
Photos from Day 4
Comments from the course
U23 Men's Road Race
Francesco Chicchi (Ita, 1st)
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"I knew that my teammates would make the race, helping me in case of a sprint. I stayed in the peloton, saving energy. The team prepared the sprint really well. Bucciero attacked on the climb, stringing out the bunch and lifting the speed. Then it was up to me."
"I saw the German train pass me on the right and I followed it. But with 300 meters to go I was boxed in, so I went to the left and I gave it everything."
"This is my tenth win of the season. I won two stages of the amateur Giro d'Italia but this is the biggest win of my life," said Chicchi who now has ambitions of turning pro next season.
Brian Stephens (Australian coach)
"The boys were in everything all day and the only thing we weren't in was the sprint at the finish. We took a bit of a gamble on Mark (Renshaw) coming straight from the world track and being our sprinter but the crash at the finish put paid to his hopes of moving through in the final sprint."
"It's hard to predict which breaks will succeed so the plan was to have someone in all of them and the team did a great job to do that. With three laps to go (40km) we had two in the lead break of 15 but the bunch was keen to keep it together and the group didn't stay away."
Junior Women's Road Race
Suzanne de Goede (Ned, 1st)
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"There were a lot of attacks but we brought them all back. That meant a mass sprint which was perfect for me."
"It was very hard with the wind and it was very cold in the morning. But then the sun came out and it was a bit better."
Can she be the next Leontien van Moorsel? "I don't think so. She races very hard. I hope to make the best out of myself," said De Goede.
Belinda Goss (Aus, 6th)
"I was in a great position with 400m to go and then when I changed gears I ended up in a smaller one instead of a harder one which meant I missed the kick. I had been sitting right on the winner's wheel but losing the momentum meant I missed the chance of a medal."
Alexis Rhodes (Aus, 8th)
"I really wasn't sure how I'd go and had hoped a break would go away that I could get into to increase my chances but that wasn't the case. The Dutch were very strong and controlled things pretty well so my aim ended up being to stay with the front bunch for the finish."
Larssyn Staley (USA, 20th)
"Today's race went by incredibly fast - it started out cold and a little windy, but it warmed up. It was never really 'grit your teeth' hard, but the tempo was consistently fast. I'll probably need to go over the race in my head on the flight home - it was over so quickly."
Borghesi crashes, mother out cold
22 year old Italian cyclist Fabio Borghesi was one of the first riders to go down heavily in the fall with 150m to go in the U23 men's race. It turned into a family affair after his mother Orlanda fainted when she saw the crash, with Fabio lying unconscious on the ground. Both Borghesis were taken to a nearby hospital in Heusden-Zolder, where their conditions were assessed. Fabio suffered a cranial trauma with a wounded cheek bone. His mother was revived without any complications.
Longo to ride women's road race
French cyclist Jeannie Longo (44) has decided at the last minute to ride in tomorrow's Elite Women's Road Race in Zolder. After finishing 7th in the time trial on Wednesday, Longo decided to have another ride at the World's. She is a 13-time World Champion in various disciplines. She will replace Delphine Guille in the French women's team.
Jeanson pulls out of women's road race
Due to tendonitis in her right Achilles tendon, Canadian cyclist Geneviève Jeanson will not start in the Elite Women's Road Race tomorrow at the World Championships. She made this decision after consulting with both the UCI doctor and a local specialist near Zolder.
Jeanson felt pain during Wednesday's time trial. "I accelerated after one of the first tight corners, and I felt an acute pain on my Achilles tendon," she said. "Then the pain subsided somewhat. But it increased after the race."
Jeanson went to see the doctors Thursday, the day following the time trial. But she made her decision this morning, following the doctors' recommendation.
"I'm worried and disappointed, added Jeanson. "Worried, because I can't wait to know the prognosis of this injury. I want to heal as quickly and as completely as possible. And I'm disappointed, because I miss the opportunity to race in a very competitive event. With a flat course like we have here, I had no personal ambitions in this race, but I probably could have contributed to the success of the Canadian team. This course is more for Lyne Bessette than for me."
Jeanson will stay away from her bicycle until further developments. As soon as she is back in Canada, she will meet with specialists who will decide on a treatment program.
Jeanson has been plagued with this injury all season, which has forced her to drop out of many events, most notably the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, where she was down to race in both the individual time trial and the women's road race. Sue Palmer-Komar of Hamilton took her place, winning a silver medal in the road race.
Australian men ready for Sunday
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Australia's 12 man professional team have all arrived in Belgium to prepare for Sunday's 256 km Elite Men's road race. Robbie McEwen (Lotto Adecco), ranked 4th in the world after a spectacular season of success which included winning the green jersey in the Tour de France, has been the focus of much attention from the European media, which is hailing him as one of the favourites if the race ends in a bunch sprint.
"I'm confident I have the form if the race pans out that way and I have beaten most of the other big name sprinters this year at some stage so that would be the ideal situation for me," said McEwen. "I'm hoping the teams from Italy (for Mario Cipollini), Germany (for Erik Zabel), Spain (for defending world champion Oscar Freire) and the Aussies will all work to keep it together."
But McEwen, 30, who has amassed a total of 19 international wins this season, the most by any professional rider, also knows that anything can happen in the battle for the World Champion's rainbow jersey.
"There is no pressure because no matter what happens on Sunday I will end the year knowing I had a great one but this year is really my best chance ever to win the world title," said McEwen who since his Tour de France glory at the end of July raced 17 post-Tour criteriums, a World Cup race and started in the Tour of Holland in August before tendonitis forced him to bring forward a scheduled week long break. He resumed racing soon after and in the past month demonstrated he has lost none of his form or speed picking up several more victories in the lead up to the World Championships.
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Australia, which for the first time has qualified the maximum 12 riders allowed, will be well placed whichever way the race pans out because of the strength of the team lining up for the race which finishes on the former Formula One race circuit in Zolder.
Stuart O'Grady (Credit Agricole) has been a consistent finisher this year. In August the 29 year old headed an Australian clean sweep of the podium in the road race at the Commonwealth Games after launching a solo attack.
"Far from feeling the pressure of being one of the favoured teams we're all really excited about having a strong group of riders who are all in good form," said O'Grady. "It's cool!"
"With three sprinters and our other strong riders we have a lot of options and we have to make sure we use the right combination to get the best result for Australia."
Victorian, Baden Cooke, (FDJeux.com), who celebrates his 24th birthday the day before the race, is another Australian with a real chance in a sprint finish. Cooke, finished in the top ten in seven stages on debut in this year's Tour de France and two weeks ago claimed a stage and overall victory in the Paris-Correze three day race.
Brad McGee, 26, also with FDJeux.com, is another who has been in sizzling form. The Sydney cyclist was crowned individual pursuit world champion 16 days ago at the track titles in Denmark and in July demonstrated his power when he claimed a stage win in the Tour de France.
Belgian riders will have to attack
Tom Steels will wait until after the World championships before signing with Landbouwkrediet-Colnago (or Landbouwkrediet-Maes Pils as it will be known in Belgium). The reason is simple: his financial terms could change depending on how he finishes the World's.
"To go to a second division team next year is no problem for me," he told Het Nieuwsblad yesterday. "Finally without that immense pressure to perform. I'm not sad about that. I will have the opportunity in this team to get back to the level where I belong on my own tempo. Don't underestimate the team's program though; with a very Italian ring. I count on the possibility for Ludo Dierckxsens and myself to obtain a wild card for the team for Paris-Roubaix."
"The security of having a contract for next year gave me the possibility to concentrate fully on the race of Sunday. Without worries, it makes a big difference," added Steels.
Steels will not have a team built around him for Sunday, as national coach Jose De Cauwer has told him to ride his own race. The Belgian tactics will be to try and get Boonen, Museeuw, Van Petegem or one of the others away in a break, rather than staking everything on a bunch sprint.
"It's logical," said Tom. "It would be different if I had a great season this year. Say if I won three stages in the Tour and I would be full of confidence on a World Championships circuit that suits me. But now...I have had to get through some really difficult months and I can't expect the National Coach to put everything on my cards."
Steels rates Italian Paolo Bettini as being in with an excellent chance of winning, due to the small hill with 2.5 km to go. He also doesn't think it will be a big bunch sprint. "40 riders, maximum. Unless the peloton doesn't want to race...but I'm not dreaming: they are going to fly!"
Verona already gearing up for 2004
The organizing committee of the 2004 World Championships, which will take place in Verona, Italy, are already working on the details of the event. The road and time trial courses have yet to be finalised, but it can be confirmed that the time trials will all start and finish in Bardolino, and will travel along Lake Garda. The Junior Women will ride 16 km, the Elite Women and Junior Men will do 25 km; the Under 23 Men will ride 36 km and the Elite Men will have to cover 50 km.
The road races will take place on a route similar to that used in 1999. It will certainly include the Torricelle climb and the following descent towards the centre of Verona. The parcours may be shortened by a few hundred metres in order to squeeze in another lap and make the race more selective.
Medal table after day 4
Gold Silver Bronze Total Italy 2 1 1 4 Russia 2 1 - 3 Colombia 1 - - 1 Lithuania 1 - - 1 Netherlands 1 1 - 2 Germany - 2 1 2 Switzerland - 1 1 2 Australia - 1 - 1 Spain - - 2 2 Portugal - - 1 1 Sweden - - 1 1
