Latest Cycling News for October 22, 2004Edited by Jeff Jones Roberts ready to unleashBy John Trevorrow in Jamieson
Luke Roberts is in a strong position to make up for the disappointment of losing last year's Herald Sun Tour on the final day. "I don't feel too bad," he told Cyclingnews on Friday. "The team has had to do a lot of work in the last few days and that's put a lot of pressure on me." Last year, Roberts made a major tactical error on the final day. Did he think he had learned from that? "I have made a couple of small mistakes this tour," said Roberts. "Last Monday around the Otways, Simon Gerrans and I were probably a little too aggressive and spent a lot of energy for little reward. I was still a bit tired the next day and didn't have enough left to pull back Jonas and he put in a gap that I would have preferred he didn't get. But overall I'm happy with how we have played it out and the guys have been great. "It's still wide open. There are probably four of us who can win and it will be whoever has the best legs when we hit Baw Baw tomorrow that will win. I'm going to have to ride pretty hard up there to put the time into Dave McKenzie, but I'm doing OK considering it's nine days into the Tour. I know there will be lots of attacks after the start and my teammates are going to be kept busy. It's all about getting to the climb in a good position and then I'll just have to unleash." Millar denies Gaumont's evidenceBanned Cofidis cyclist David Millar has denied accusations made by his former teammate Philippe Gaumont that he used illegal performance enhancing drugs to win the final time trial in the 2003 Tour de France. Although Millar did admit in July that he had used EPO in 2001 and 2003, he has always maintained that he did it independently of any of the other riders in the team apart from Massimiliano Lelli, whom he claimed introduced him to EPO. But in August, Lelli said that Gaumont's testimony was truthful, and that Gaumont was one of the main riders in Cofidis responsible for procuring doping products. Both Millar and Gaumont were questioned again by judge Richard Pallain in Nanterre, who is trying to ascertain whether there was drug trafficking going on within the Cofidis team. After charges against Cédric Vasseur were dropped on Friday, nine people remain under investigation in the Cofidis affair: Massimiliano Lelli, David Millar, Philippe Gaumont, Robert Sassone, Médéric Clain, Marek Rutkiewicz and Daniel Majewski, trainer Boguslaw Madejak, and former Oktos director Oleg Kozlitine. Rabobank changes its structureThe Dutch Rabobank cycling program will undergo a few changes to its organisational structure next season, as it prepares to enter the UCI's Pro Tour. In a statement, Rabobank said that its teams "are committed to playing a leading role at the top of the UCI Pro Tour and Continental Tour " To that end, Theo De Rooij, Erik Breukink and Geert Leinders will assume more of the responsibility for the general management of the cycling operation, in keeping with the trend in professional cycling. A supervisory board consisting of Rabobank directors Schinkelshoek, Van Rijckevorsel and Bruggink will provide administrative supervision at a distance, and an advisory board will also be established that will be comprised of professionals from the sports and business worlds. This board will provide De Rooij and co. with advice and support in relation to strategic issues. "While we were naturally already able to make decisions ourselves in practice, the situation has now been formalised," commented De Rooij. "The day-to-day management will now be carried out completely by people from the team and we consider this as an acknowledgement of the considerable trust that Rabobank Nederland places in us." Rabobank has made no secret of the fact that it wants to be at the top cycling next year, while at the same time maintaining its interest in developmental programs. "The team brought the 2004 season to an outstanding conclusion and the year's absolute high point was when Oscar Freire took the world title," said team manager Erik Breukink. "The classics and the Tour de France will once again be the principal contests for the 2005 season. But we naturally also want to play a meaningful role in the other Pro Tour competitions." De Rooij added that the task of training young talent will remain a big objective in 2005: "No less than seven of our talents will turn professional next season. (Koen de Kort is going to Liberty Seguros and Bas Giling and Bernhard Kohl are going to T-Mobile). We will give Thomas Dekker, Theo Eltink, Rory Sutherland and Jukka Vastaranta the opportunity to prove their abilities in the Pro Tour. Nico Verhoeven's Continental Team encompasses many more young talents. Thanks to the more intense programme that they are going to participate in, the Continental Team is certain to produce more professionals for the big league in the near future." Pronk brothers to attack derny recordsThe brothers Jos and Matthé Pronk will attack the derny hour records in Alkmaar on November 10, reports ANP. First of all, Jos will attempt the Dutch record of 61.219 km, set by Danny Stam last year, and will motorpace behind Sam Mooy. Brother Matthé will then ride behind Joop Zijlaard in his attempt to beat the World Record of 64.546 km, set by Theo Verschueren/Noppie Koch in 1970. Belgian team for Tabor World CupThe elite men's Belgian squad has been named for the second round of the World Cup cyclo-cross series in Tabor, Czech Republic, on October 28. The team contains Bart Wellens (Fidea), Sven Nijs (Rabobank), Ben Berden (Saey-Deschacht), Erwin Vervecken (Fidea), Sven Vanthourenhout (Quick.Step), Wim Jacobs (Fidea), Mario De Clercq (MrBookmaker.com-Palmans), Davy Commeyne (MrBookmaker.com-Palmans), Tom Vannoppen (MrBookmaker.com-Palmans). Reserves: Bart Aernouts (Rabobank), Peter Van Santvliet (Fidea). Superprestige round 2 in Hamme-Zogge
This Sunday, October 24 will see the second round of the Superprestige series being held in Hamme-Zogge in Belgium. The circuit will be the same as the one used for the Belgian championships in 2007 and conditions should be fast due to the recent dry, warm weather. It will be the 200th Superprestige race in history. Last weekend's first round winner Sven Nys (Rabobank) will be the rider to watch, as he continues his quest for an unprecedented fifth overall Superprestige title. Nys has already won 23 Superprestige races, more than any other rider. As usual, he will be challenged by Richard Groenendaal, Ben Berden, Bart Wellens, Sven Vanthourenhout, Mario de Clercq and Tom Vannoppen, among others. In the U23 and junior categories, Lars Boom and Ricardo van der Velde (son of ex-pro Johan), are the respective leaders. Elite Starters1. Bart Wellens (Bel); 2. Sven Nys (Bel); 3. Richard Groenendaal (Ned); 4. Ben Berden (Bel); 5. Erwin Vervecken (Bel); 6. Mario De Clercq (Bel); 7. Tom Vannoppen (Bel); 8. Petr Dlask (Cze); 9. John Gadret (Fra); 10. Christian Heule (Swi); 11. Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel); 12. Peter Van Santvliet (Bel); 13. Wilant van Gils (Ned); 14. Martin Zlamalik (Cze); 15. Vaclav Jezek (Cze); 16. Davy Commeyne (Bel); 17. Wim Jacobs (Bel); 18. Maarten Nijland (Ned); 19. Camiel van den Bergh (Ned); 20. Björn Rondelez (Bel); 21. Jan Verstraeten (Bel); 22. Tim Van Nuffel (Bel); 23. David Willemsens (Bel); 24. Dariusz Gil (Pol); 25. Tadeusz Korzeniewski (Pol); 26. Jonathan Page (USA); 27. Geert Vandaele (Bel); 28. Jaak Eeckhout (Bel); 29. René Van Damme (Bel); 30. Steven De Schoesitter (Bel); 31. Eddy Van Acker (Bel); 32. Nicky David (Bel); 33. Peter Verhofstadt (Bel); 34. Tony Heirbaut (Bel); 35. Freddy De Meester (Bel); 6. Pascal Raes (Bel). 2nd Jayco Tour of QueenslandBy Rod Morris in Jamieson The full field of 60 riders has been confirmed for the 2nd annual Jayco Tour of Queensland, which starts in Maryborough, Australia on November 1. Heading the field is ace Victorian rider David McKenzie, who won last year's inaugural ToQ and is currently leading the Malaysian Airlines Herald Sun Tour of Provincial Victoria. McKenzie will ride for the powerful Jayco team and will be joined by Canadians Dominique Perras and Eric Wohlberg, Queensland's Mark Roland and durable Victorian Matthew Goold. Included in the field are nine Queensland riders, with Ashley Hutchinson (Mirvac), Miles Olman (Mirvac), Tony Mann (Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello) and Mark Roland (Jayco) considered excellent chances of overall honours. McKenzie will be the pre-race tour favourite, but can expect some healthy opposition from Uruguayan Jorge Libonatti (Europcar), Swede Jonas Ljungblad (Bendigo Bank) and any one of the Great Britain track team which will ride for the Radio 4BU - KIX FM team. Ljungblad is currently in third place in the Herald Sun Tour and last year was crowned winner of the Sprint Championship in the Tour of Queensland. General Classification honours are high up on Ljungblad's list of priorities in Queensland. Keiran Page from the Isle of Wight and Kristian House, two of the GB sprinters are top 10 in the Herald Sun Tour and appear quite at home in Australian road racing. Popular Belgian rider Bart Heirewegh (Bundaberg Sugar) will use the ToQ as his swansong. The 37 year-old intends to retire after the Queensland race, pulling the curtain on a career that has included more than 200 wins. The field also includes Australian gold medallist from the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Brett Aitken, who is out of semi-retirement and will be the No. 1 rider for the all-South Australian Lysacht team. 32 Australians from five different states and 28 internationals from 11 different countries will contest the ToQ, which will start in Maryborough on Monday week and will finish in Bundaberg, 460 km and five days later. Each of the nine stages are rider and spectator friendly. Given the warmer climate, the longest stage is a 90 km journey from Miriam Vale to the Town of 1770 in the middle of the tour. Four of the nine stages are either criteriums or kermesses and Tour Director John Craven of the Victorian sports promotion firm, Caribou Publications, has also included a 4.1 km individual time trial at Mount Perry. Teams and riders Jayco: David McKenzie (Vic), Matthew Goold (Vic), Eric Wohlberg (Can),
Dominique Perras (Can), Mark Roland (Qld). The Stages Stage 1 - November 1: Maryborough Criterium, 27 km, 11 sprints Irish Cyclo-Cross Season 2004By Tommy Campbell, Irish Independent, Evening Herald, Sunday Independent The Irish National Cyclo-Cross Season will start this weekend, October 22-23, when Apollo CT promotes a training weekend at the Craigavon Watersports Centre. For the last 10 years, Apollo CT has been very much to the fore in the promotion of a sport which has been gaining momentum in Ireland. The Irish 'cross season is usually terminated after the National Championships, but this time will continue into January, 2005. This season, Ulster, Leinster and National series' will run between October 30 and January 16, 2005. The provincial series will include five rounds, whilst the National series will include 6. The organisers of the weekend's activities are hopeful that there will be a good turnout and that the current national champion for the last 10 years, Robin Seymour, will be in attendance to share his views with the participants. The origins of cyclo-cross are obscure, although it is thought to have taken shape in France shortly after the turn of the 20th century. It is thought that it was influenced by the use of bicycles in military manoeuvres. Many so-called road races at that time included sections of rough terrain, and the difference between the two disciplines was probably not that great. By 1925, cyclo-cross had gained recognition in Europe, thus justifying an annual world championship. In 1950 it was recognised by the Union Cycliste Internationale as an official world championship. Perhaps in the next 10 years or so, a championship will be staged in Ireland.
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