First Edition Cycling News for November 27, 2004Edited by Jeff Jones Rebellin plans his seasonItalian one day specialist Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) has mapped out his racing program for next season. He will begin in February with the Ruta del Sol and ride Paris-Nice as preparation for Milan-San Remo. His main goal will be to repeat his incredible triple of this season: Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege. "My team wants me to win the big one day races again, and I am happy to satisfy them," said Rebellin. "The Giro d'Italia is also on the program: if I finish Liege in good condition then the directors will give me the OK to participate." Bayley named Australian Cyclist of the Year
Dual Olympic champion Ryan Bayley was named Shimano 2004 Australian Cyclist of the Year, receiving the Sir Hubert "Oppy" Opperman Medal from Senator Rod Kemp, the Federal Minister for Sport. The 22 year-old West Australian also claimed the Cyclingnews.com Male Track Cyclist of the Year gong at a black tie function at Sydney's Darling Harbour Convention Centre, which was attended by Australia's top cycling talent. The gala night of celebration recognised the achievements of Australian cyclists in what has been an unprecedented year of success which included six Olympic gold medals, ten Paralympic gold medals and 19 world titles. In a year when Australian cycling also suffered through the Mark French affair, Bayley remained focused on his goals, winning gold in both the sprint and keirin in Athens, a bronze medal in the sprint at the World Championships in Melbourne as well as gold in the sprint and silver in the keirin at the Oceania Championships in New Zealand. But it was his dominance at the Olympic Games that secured the "Oppy". He qualified fastest for the sprint and won both the qualifying and first round of the keirin. In the finals of both events he was unbeatable.
The hotly contested Ride Cycling Review Male Road Cyclist of the Year Award was won by Stuart O’Grady, 31, who this year won a stage of the Tour de France and became the first Australian man to win a round of the World Cup Series when he sprinted to victory in HEW Cyclassics in Hamburg. Earlier in the year he was third in the Milan-San Remo World Cup. The South Australian also won track gold in Athens where he partnered Graeme Brown in the Madison. The Female Track Cyclist of the Year went to 21 year-old Rockhampton sensation, Anna Meares. Meares became the first woman to ride under 34 seconds for the 500m time trial when she smashed the world record to win gold in Athens. She added an Olympic bronze in the sprint. In Melbourne in May she won the 500m time trial World Championship and was the silver medallist in the sprint. Queensland's Sara Carrigan continued the Olympic gold rush to the stage when she was named Trek & Clarence St Cyclery Female Road Cyclist of the Year. Carrigan, 24, was crowned Olympic Champion in the road race in Athens. Both mountain bike honours were awarded to 19 year-old teenagers in Olympian Lisa Mathison and World Championships bronze medallist, Sam Hill. Three gold medals and a world record at the Paralympics saw Christopher Scott claim the Male Disability Award while three medals, one of each colour and a world record ride in Athens, secured the Female Disability Award for Lindy Hou.
BMX World Champion, Warwick Stevenson, won the GT Male BMX Award. Australia's Track Cycling Head Coach, Martin Barras, was named SBS Television Coach of the Year. David Willmott and Liz Randall claimed the Masters Awards and in the junior ranks Amanda Spratt claimed both track and road awards, Michael Ford was named Junior Male Track Cyclist of the Year, Matthew Goss Junior Male Road, Shaun Lewis Junior Male MTB, Michael Fenwick Junior Male BMX and Tracey Hannah Junior Female MTB. Volunteer Awards were presented to Peter Gough (ACT), Bruce Mills (NSW), Ken Tucker (QLD), Chris Harbidge (NT), Helen Baird (SA), Terry & Barbara Allen (WA), Lance de Luca (VIC) and Rodney Jones (TAS). The Cycling Australia Event Merit Award was presented to Cycling NSW and Clarence St Cyclery for the Clarence Ct Cyclery Cup Carnival which is in its 23rd year. Media awards for Print (Ian Cockerill/Inside Sport "Breaking Away"), Photo (David Gray/Reuters - "Speed Blur"), Regional (Robert Harris/The Shepparton News (Shepparton)) and Electronic (Michael Tomalaris & David McGrath/Cycling Central, SBS TV - "Paralympic hopefuls prepare for Athens") categories were also presented. PhotographyImages by John Veage. For a thumbnail gallery of these images click here.
Image by Lesleigh Russell
Nys favourite for Superprestige GietenSuperprestige series leader Sven Nys (Rabobank) will be the favourite in Sunday's fifth round in Gieten, the Netherlands, after winning there four times in the last six years. With World Champion Bart Wellens (Fidea) still searching for form, Nys has been the top cyclo-crosser of the season. His nearest challengers on Sunday are likely to be Ben Berden (John Saey-Deschacht), Tom Vannoppen (MrBookmaker.com), Sven Vanthourenhout (Quick.Step) and Richard Groenendaal (Rabobank). Program 11:00 Novices Elite starters1 Bart Wellens; 2 Sven Nys; 3 Ben Berden; 4 Richard Groenendaal (Ned); 5 Erwin Vervecken; 6 Tom Vannoppen; 7 Sven Vanthourenhout; 8 Peter Van Santvliet; 9 John Gadret (Fra); 10 Christian Heule (Swi); 11 Petr Dlask (Cze); 12 Wilant van Gils (Ned); 13 Vaclav Jezek (Cze); 14 Maarten Nijland (Ned); 15 Martin Zlamalik (Cze); 16 Dariusz Gil (Pol); 17 Jonathan Page (USA); 18 Camiel van den Bergh (Ned); 19 Wim Jacobs; 20 Tadeusz Korzeniewski (Pol); 21 Bart Aernouts; 22 Tim Van Nuffel; 23 Davy Commeyne; 24 Jan Verstraeten; 25 Leon Brouwer (Ned); 26 Richard Calis (Ned); 27 Robert van Erp (Ned); 28 Frank Groenendaal (Ned); 29 Jean-Pierre Leijten (Ned); 30 Marco Luyten (Ned); 31 Edwin van Pinxteren (Ned); 32 Danny Verhestraeten; 33 Eric Verrijt (Ned); 34 Ben van de Water; 35 Torsten Wittig (Ger); 36 Enrico Franzoi (Ita) Superprestige standings after round 41 Sven Nys (Bel) Rabobank 57 pts 2 Ben Berden (Bel) John Saey-Deschacht 50 3 Tom Vannoppen (Bel) MrBookmaker.com 48 4 Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Quick.Step 47 4 Richard Groenendaal (Ned) Rabobank 47 Tafi to retire with Saunier DuvalItalian veteran Andrea Tafi has signed a contract with the Swiss Saunier Duval team for the first part of next season. Tafi will race up until Paris-Roubaix, where he will bid his farewell to the sport in the manner of many of his fellow classics specialists. Tafi won Paris-Roubaix in 1999, one of his five World Cup wins, and has always loved the pavé. Saunier Duval is also negotiating with Panaria's Giuliano Figueras. Hans De Clercq to retireBelgian Hans De Clercq will hang up his wheels this year. The 35 year-old, who has ridden for Palmans and Lotto throughout his career, did not get a contract with the new Davitamon-Lotto team. A superb domestique for the likes of Robbie McEwen and Andrei Tchmil, De Clercq's victories were few, his biggest success being the Classic Haribo in 2001. Shimano to sponsor Continental TeamShimano will be the main sponsor of a Dutch-based Continental Team next year, named Team Shimano-Van Keulen-Imabo Van Buren. The team will be managed by BankGiroLoterij manager Arend Scheppink, who has been looking for a new sponsor ever since his team folded. The manager of the current Division III Shimano Racing Team, Akira Bandou, will also be involved. The cooperation with Shimano was in many ways a logical one, as Scheppink has always been interested in supporting young Dutch riders, while Shimano wants to help the development of Japanese riders. The team's long term goal is the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 and its status as a Continental Team will assist its riders in gaining experience in professional racing. From the Dutch side, Scheppink has contracted BankGiroLoterij riders Laurens ten Dam, Alain van Katwijk, Juliën Smink, Eelke van der Wal and Marco Bos, with more to follow. Piet Hoekstra will be a sports director. There will be eight Japanese riders, including Akira Bandou as a director. Aside from Shimano, the team's other co-sponsors Van Keulen and Imabo Van Buren are both involved in the building industry. The team will ride Colnago bikes, equipped naturally with Shimano. Spadi to Ceramica Flaminia23 year-old Manuele Spadi will ride for the new Italian Ceramica Flaminia team next season, becoming the team's 12th rider. It's expected that two more riders will be signed to the team shortly. Operation for MoosSwiss rider Alexandre Moos (Phonak) will require an operation to fix his collarbone, which he broke last Sunday at a cyclo-cross race in Hittnau, Switzerland. Moos already injured the same shoulder while mountain biking in August, and it's expected that he'll be out of action for a month. Latest doping sanctionsThe UCI has reported that the following riders have been sanctioned for doping offences: José Antonio Herrero, sanctioned by Federacion Costarricense de Cyclisme, suspension of 2 years from August 27, 2004 to August 28, 2006. David Millar, sanctioned by British Cycling Federation, disqualification of the Vuelta a España 2001, the Dauphiné Libéré 2003 and Road World Championship 2003 - Time Trial, suspension of 2 years from August 5, 2004 to August 4, 2006, and fine of CHF 2,000 Kristien Nelen, sanctioned by Royale Ligue Vélocipédique Belge, disqualification of the race UCI MTB World Cup, Houffalize (Bel), May 30, 2004, suspension of 6 months from November 1, 2004 to July 31, 2005 and fine of CHF 750 Geert Steurs, sanctioned by Royale Ligue Vélocipédique Belge, disqualification of the race Volta ao Algarve (Por), February 22, 2004, suspension of 15 months and 9 months deferment from November 1, 2004 to January 31, 2006 and fine of CHF 2,000. Lake Taupo ChallengeThis Saturday, up to 10,000 cyclists will descend on Lake Taupo in the middle of New Zealand's North Island to compete in the 27th Annual Wattyl Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge. The event is made up of five separate challenges which follow the same route around the famous Lake: The Classic 160km Road Race organised by Cycling NZ and won last year by Matthew Yates, the 160km 'non competitive' Solo event, the 160km Relay event made up of teams of two, three or four riders, the 320km Enduro event and the 500km Super Enduro event for those who love riding through the night and most of the day. Although it's the start of summer, the weather can usually be changeable. The Lake Taupo forecast for the weekend is a brisk 2 degrees Celsius on the start line at 7.30am with clear skies and a high of 15, although that could change. Cycling Central returnsAustralian free-to-air TV broadcaster SBS Sport has announced the return of its successful weekend program, Cycling Central from Sunday, December 5 at 11:30am. Covering all disciplines of cycling and focusing on the Australian summer season, the program will feature the Oceania Track Championships, Tasmania's Track Carnivals and the Launceston International Criterium, plus the Australian Open Road Championships and the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under from South Australia. There will also be plenty of international content, including a segment from Cyclingnews' own Gerard Knapp, who will have a weekly spot. Cycling Central will be presented by SBS' 'Mr Cycling' Mike Tomalaris. The Sunday morning program will be repeated the following Tuesday at 3:30pm. (All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2004) |
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