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Edited by John Stevenson
After months of negotiations, Miguel Martinez's fate is clear. The talented French mountain bike specialist will ride on the road in 2002 for Mapei-Quick Step, as well as competing on the World Cup MTB circuit for his present team Full Dynamix.
In an agreement reached yesterday between Giovanni Battaglin, owner of Full Dynamix, Aldo Sassi of Mapei-Quick Step and Martinez's agent Johnny Carera in Marostica, Italy, Martinez will race a program that will enable him to make his debut in pro road racing with Mapei-Quick Step and still honor his mountain bike commitments to Full Dynamix.
Giovanni Battaglin told cyclingnews after the agreement had been concluded that " with this agreement, we have decided to allow the sporting logic to prevail over just business. Miguel has shown he understands the great support and friendship we have shown over the last few years and I think that we (Full Dynamix) have shown this once again with this agreement (with Mapei-Quick Step)
For his part, Martinez said, "I really want to see how I measure up in road racing on this great team (Mapei-Quick Step); no one can imagine how much. But I'm sure I won't disappoint Giovanni andFull Dynamix with my performance on the mountain bike, and I can now take advantage of this great opportunity at Mapei-Quick Step thanks to the understanding and friendship of Giovanni Battaglin. "
Martinez will now race the 2002 World Cup MTB for Full Dynamix and probably the World Championship in Kaprun, Austria as well as a road race schedule for Mapei-Quick Step, where the diminutive Olympic MTB Champ will likely demonstrate his climbing skills.
After three years as a significant presence on the US amateur scene the Ofoto/Lombardia Sports team is to make the move up to the professional ranks for 2002 as a UCI Division III squad.
The 15 rider team includes experienced athletes and developing young talent. Former Ficonseils rider Erik Saunders brings professional experience to the team, alongside Colby Pearce (ex-Prime Alliance), a member of the US National track squad and multiple ex-National Champion on the track. Combined with these two is the Irishman John Brady, a former 7-Eleven rider who will bring a wealth of information and experience to the younger riders. In addition, experienced riders Tim Larkin, second 2001 Elite US Criterium Championships; John Durso, ex-US National Madison Champion; John Van Heel; and James Hodnett will continue with the team and move to professional status.
The younger riders include Andrew Crater (ex-Reality Bikes), who finished the 2001 season with excellent results at the Miami Cycling Classic events; and Jackson Stewart, who recently finished second at the 2001 U-23 National Cyclo-cross Championships.
The team also has Devin Hoff-Weekes, a previous US Junior National Team member who has shown excellent potential both on the road and on the track; Greg Sieniewicz, a young Canadian National Team member with international racing experience including the 2001 Tour of Langkawi; and Reto Lauper, a Swiss rider with amazing potential. Finally, Peter Lopinto, Peter Devore, and Russell Hamby round out the youthful edge of the squad.
The team's focus will be on the US domestic road racing scene, with emphasis on the US Pro Cycling Tour and the National Racing Calendar events. Additionally, some team members will compete on the track throughout the year in both national and international/World Cup events.
Based in San Francisco, California, the team is supported by Ofoto (www.ofoto.com), Kodak's online photography service, and Lombardi Sports, a major San Francisco Bay Area sporting goods store.
The team will compete on Klein bicycles with Bontrager equipment and wheels and will wear Nike cycling clothing.
Team Roster
John Brady (Irl)
Andrew Crater (USA)
Peter Devore (USA)
John Durso (USA)
Russell Hamby (USA)
James Hodnett (IRL)
Devin Hoff-Weekes (USA)
Tim Larkin (USA)
Reto Lauper (SWI)
Peter Lopinto (USA)
Colby Pearce (USA)
Erik Saunders (USA)
Greg Sieniewicz (CAN)
Jackson Stewart (USA)
John Van Heel (USA)
Team personnel
Management: JD Sports, Inc. - John Durso, President
Team Manager: Robin Zellner
PR Director/Assistant Manager: Jon Irick
Mechanic: Len Tiernan
Sponsors
Ofoto, Lombardi Sports, Park City Mountain Resort, Klein, Nike, Bontrager, Shimano, Oakley, Giro, Vetta, Panaracer.
By Gerry McManus
Irish professional Ciarán Power is leaving the St Quentin-Oktos team in a move to the American Navigators team in 2002. The 25 year-old from County Waterford has accepted an offer from the US outfit following a decision from the St Quentin sponsors to include a higher number of French riders in the team next year.
Last weekend Power raced in the Christmas Hamper race close to his home and missed the training camp where he was due to sign the contract. He was told that "foreign" riders who had not yet signed would be left out.
"Maybe there would have been a place for me in March," he said. "I could wait until March but there is no guarantee of a place. The Navigators have been on to me for the past two weeks, so I have decided to try my luck there."
Power's 2001 season was severely disrupted after he broke his collar-bone racing in Dunkirk earlier this year. He recovery was amazingly swift as he went on to take seventh place in the Irish Road Race Championship, his best ever result for the event.
Power is impressed with the Navigators team and race program for next year.
"The team has the American criterium champion and the Canadian champion with a mixture of Italian, New Zealand and Australian riders," he enthuses. "They are based in New Jersey, just outside New York and it looks like I will be going there in mid February. It will be a new challenge for me."
The training camp will be in Arizona in February leading up to the team's first major objective in the Killington stage races.
Power could soon return across the Atlantic, as the Navigators are expected to field teams in a number of the spring races on continental Europe.
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Here's a look at Alan Iacuone, David McKenzie and Jamie Drew of new pro squad iTeamNOVA out and about in their striking new team strip. The trio was snapped while taking a break in a training ride.
iTeamNOVA was launched on December 5. The Australian-based squad includes former members of the Linda McCartney team, and is supported by member subscriptions through its website.
It's not just Telekom team leader Jan Ullrich who's spending the next few weeks in warmer climes than those of his native Germany. While Ullrich starts Project Yellow Jersey in South Africa his team-mates Steffen Wesemann and Kai Hundertmarck will spend Christmas in Adelaide, South Australia as they prepare for the 2002 Jacob’s Creek Tour Down Under.
Wesemann, 30, arrived in Australia earlier this month to take advantage of the good weather in South Australia to begin training for next season. He followed a similar pre-season build-up this year and the early preparation helped him to seventh place in Paris-Roubaix. Wesemann has raced in the Jacob’s Creek Tour Down Under since 2000 when he won the fourth stage into Modbury.
Hundertmarck arrives in Adelaide on Saturday December 22 and is determined to reach top form before he lines up for the opening stage at Glenelg on January 15th. The 32-year-old claimed the overall lead after winning the penultimate stage into Tanunda this year. But in a heart stopping final stage he was out sprinted by home town hero, Stuart O’Grady, who claimed the win by a mere two seconds over his German rival.
Austrian Gerrit Glomser has been added to the Saeco team to replace 2001 Jacob’s Creek Tour Down Under stage winner, Alessio Galletti. Glomser rode for the second division Post Swiss Team in 2001 but consistent performances throughout the year saw him secure a contract with the Italian registered first division team for 2002.
Cannondale Bicycles is sponsoring a new road team in the St. Louis area. The new team will be known as "Stage 1" and will work out of the Big Shark Bicycle Company bike shop. However, Cannondale will be the primary sponsor of the team.
Cannondale's Stage 1 team is not a cycling club but rather a team, whose function is to learn and execute techniques used at the professional level. Members are from the St. Louis and Columbia area, representing both Cat 2 and Cat 3 level riders. The team's goal will be to become the top team in St. Louis
Team roster
Tim Kakouris (Cat 2)
Luke Musselman (Cat 2)
John Rines (Cat 2)
Zack Hyland (Cat 2)
Bill Erpelding (Cat 2)
Doug Scronce (Cat 3)
Tom Lebouf (Cat 3)
Jason Moore (Cat 3)
Sponsors
www.cannondale.com
www.bigshark.com
More information: www.STLbiking.com
The Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross series reaches its finale on December 22 with the Castor's Cyclo-Cross, at Curtis Corner Middle School, South Kingstown.
All but one series title is up for grabs and as many as five US national champions are expected to attend. Saturn team-mates Tim Johnson and Mark McCormack, the defending 2000 champion, are leading the men's series, with McCormack ahead by just five points. Newly crowned US national champion Todd Wells is in third, too far back to overhaul McCormack and Johnson, but still expected to figure strongly in an effort to show that his win at Baltimore was not a fluke.
In the women, Lyne Bessette has an unassailable lead, but junior national champion Jesse Anthony is threatened by rising young star Chris Hill, who has been showing strong form of late.
The racing kicks off with a beginner's contest at 10 am. The elite women race at noon, while the elite men will bolt from the start line at 1:15 pm.
Major Races and Events
September 7-29, 2002: Vuelta
a España (GT) - Preview, stage list
May 11-June 2, 2002: Giro
d'Italia (GT) - Preview, stage list, photos
July 6-28, 2002: Tour
de France (GT) - Full preview & official route details
December 8: Superprestige
Rd 5 (Cat. 1) - Erwin Vervecken
November 29-December 4: Six
Days of Noumea (6D) - Sassone/Neuville victorious
November 26-December 1: Six
Days of Zurich (6D) - Day
6 - McGrory/Gilmore/Schnider win
December 1: Melbourne
Cup on Wheels (IM) - Scott Moller, Keirin,
Sprint, Support
races
December 2: Cyclo-cross
World Cup #2 (CDM) - Sven Nijs again
November 24-December 3: Juegos
Deportivos Centroamericanos (JR) - Final results
December 8-9: Frankfurter
Rad-Cross (Cat. 2) - Alex Mudroch, UK
National Trophy Series #4 (Cat. 3) - Roger Hammond, Grote
Prijs Industrie Bosduin - Kalmthout (Cat. 1) - Bart Wellens, Int.
Radquer Obergösgen (Cat. 2) - Björn Rondelez, Trofeo
Mamma e Papa Guerciotti (Cat. 3) - Enrico Franzoi, Premio
Egondo (Cat 3) - David Seco, Irish
cyclo-cross championships - Robin Seymour
Results: local racing
Australia - CycleWest
Promotions Omnium Series #2, Eastern
Suburbs Summer Criterium Series, Carnegie
Caulfield Tuesday criterium, Southern
Cross Junior Track Open & Madison Cup, Manly
Warringah CC, George
Town Track Carnival, Carnegie
Caulfield CC, Randwick
Botany CC, Gold
Coast CATS CC, Caesar's
Illawarra CC, Caesar's
Illawarra (track)
Denmark - Danish
cyclo-cross Post Cup #3
Italy - Gran
Premio Città di Bassano
Luxembourg - GP
De Kopstal
New Zealand - Cyco
Criterium series
Spain - Elorrio
cyclo-cross
USA - Georgia
Cross Series Championship, Chimborazo
Grand Prix cyclo-cross, Boulder
Cross Rd 6, New
Mexico State Cyclo-x Champs, Sorrento
Cyclo-x & California State Champ's, Boulder
Cross Rd 5, Verge
New England series, Northampton
CC Cyclo-cross Championships, Chris
Cross International CycloCross
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