First Edition Cycling News for April 28, 2004Edited by John Stevenson Lampre presents Astarloa
Igor Astarloa and the Lampre team yesterday formalized the world champion's new home at the Italian team with a press conference, presenting the Spaniard and the latest version of his rainbow jersey. Astarloa has signed a two-year deal with Lampre. Astarloa's first big outing will be the Giro d'Italia which starts May 8, and the team says his role there will be to go for stage victories. He's looking forward to the challenge after sitting out the Spring Classics because of the inactivity of his former team Cofidis, which has voluntarily suspended operations after a series of doping allegations against past and current members of the team. "It's been very hard to watch Rebellin's triumphs from my living room chair," said Astarloa. "The Spring Classics were my main objectives and the have faded because of non-cycling reasons. Now the Giro is coming and I will try and return to being a protagonist." Before the Giro, Astarloa will test his legs at the GP Industria & Artigianato - Larciano before starting the Giro. With no recent racing behind him he doesn't expect to be competitive in the first few days of the Italian tour, "but after the first week I will be able to compete for stages with Rebellin," he said. Valverde & Beloki back at Castilla y LeonToday's Vuelta Castilla y León sees the return to racing of 2003 world championship silver medalist Alejandro Valverde (Kelme), who has been taking a break from competition after a strong early season that culminated in a victory at the Klasika Primavera. Joseba Beloki (Brioche La Boulangere) will also be putting himself to the test at Castilla y León in the next phase of his ongoing struggle to regain fitness after his disastrous crash at last year's Tour de France. Valverde says he is happy after such a strong start to the season, and while he will be taking a further break after Castilla y León, "I think I am fit enough. Not quite as in form as in February, but 80 percent of that form." He's not riding Castilla y Leon with any specific goals, but says he will see what unfolds. "I won't let any chances of victory escape," he says. "I think that it will be easier here because everyone who is at a better level is at the Tour of Romandie. The last few days I have been training at home with a great deal of tranquility, without pressure, doing some intervals, but without forcing myself too much. The balance of the year has been superb up to now and I cannot ask more. We are going to see if we can do even better in the second half of the season." Valverde's team director Vicente Belda identifies the Liburty Seguros team as the biggest threat at Castilla y Leon. "Liburty Seguros has the most solid group of riders," says Belda. "With Koldo Gil, Vicioso and Igor González de Galdeano, they are my favourite for the team time trial on Thursday. And the rider who comes out of that stage as leader has a good chance of winning the tour. Our objective is to win some stages with Alejandro Valverde and to lose the smallest possible amount of time in the time trials. At the end of the ay, the aim is to go on adding to our list of victories. "The general classification is an unknown," added Belda. "Everything depends on the first stages and then the climb of El Morredero." StagesStage 1 - April 28: Belorado - Castrojeriz, 156km TeamsEuskaltel - Euskadi, Illes Balears - Banesto, Comunidad Valenciana - Kelme, Liberty Seguros, Saunier Duval, Almeria, Cafés Baqué, Spanish Olympic team, Relax - Bodysol, Vlaanderen - T Interim, Brioches La Boulangère, Crédit Agricole, LA Pecol, Milaneza Maia, Lokomotiv, Vini Caldirola - Nobili Rubinetterie. Kelme doctors testify in secretKelme team doctors Eufemiano Fuentes and Walter Virú have given evidence to the Spanish cycling federation (RFEC) commission investigating the doping allegations made over the last few months by former Kelme rider Jesus Manzano. However, Fuentes and Virú requested that the commission respect their right of privacy and allow them to give evidence in a closed session at a secret location. Neither made any comment to the press before or after being questioned by the commission, which is headed by lawyer Enrique Franch. So far, the RFEC investigation has heard from Manzano himself, plus former riders Darío Gadeo, Díaz Cub, and Nacho Gutiérrez, Kelme director Vicente Belda and team doctor Alfredo Córdova. The commission is still waiting to hear from Julián Usano who is due to give evidence today. Di Luca diagnosed with prostate inflammationSaeco rider Danilo Di Luca has an acute inflammation of the prostate, according to an announcement from his team. Di Luca was diagnosed at the Clinica Villa Pini di Chieti, where he is undergoing tests and is expected to stay for the next couple of days. This is a recurrence of the same problem that caused Di Luca to withdraw from the 2003 Tour de France. Di Luca was scheduled to ride the Giro d'Italia, but his participation must now depend on his treatment and recovery. Tour to collect bikes for FasoA theme of this year's Tour de France will be '1000 bikes for Faso', an effort to collect bikes and equipment to assist the development of cycling in the African nation of Burkina Faso. Collections will start throughout France in May, with local coordinators helping to provide information to the cycling community and organise donations. The equipment will be transported to Burkina Faso at the beginning of August. Liberty Seguros for Vuelta Castilla y LeónThe Liberty Seguros team has announced its line-up for the Vuelta Castilla y León which runs from today until May 2. The team will field Dariusz Baranowski, Allan Davis, Rafael Diaz, Koldo Gil, Igor Glez. De Galdeano, Jan Hruska, Javier Ramirez, and Ángel Vicioso. Racing back at Portland International RacewayWomen's and masters' Monday night racing returns to Oregon's Portland International Raceway on May 3 for the start of the 17th year of racing. Events are open to all women and 30+ men and this year sees a new category: Novice masters, for 30+ riders who have done fewer than five races. This group will have experienced "ride-along" mentors from the Lakeside Bicycles/Fred Meyer Cycling Team. Racing starts at 6:15. For more information, see www.obra.org/flyers/2004/monday_pir.html 2004 US Collegiate nationalsMadison, Wisconsin will host the 2004 US collegiate national road championships on the weekend of May 21-23. The three days of racing will comprise a Friday evening criterium in downtown Madison, starting at 5.30; an 86-mile road race on Saturday, passing through Black Earth, Wisconsin every 40 minutes (Women race at 8 am, men race at 12:30) and a team time trial on Sunday, from the Trek Bicycle factory in Waterloo, Wisconsin. Teams of the Western Collegiate Cycling Conference are looking especially strong this year, while Midwestern State University in Texas has a commanding lead in the south, and the Eastern conference is observing a tight race between Penn State, UVM, and UNH for the conference title. Of local teams, the Wisconsin Badgers are preparing quietly for nationals. They currently hold second place to Indiana in the Midwestern Conference. Organisers say they would welcome additional volunteer help at the nationals. For details of how to get involved, see www.woollymammothpromotions.com.
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