First Edition Cycling News for June 5, 2004

Edited by Chris Henry

Philly favourites talk tactics

Fast year for McCormack

Mark McCormack
Photo ©: Jon Devich

On the eve of the biggest single day of cycling in the United States, favourites for this year's Wachovia USPRO Championship revealed their impressions of the race and what they expect for the fight for the glory of a race win and the fight for the stars and stripes jersey.

Jersey winner from the 2003 edition of the race Mark McCormack (Colavita Olive Oil) hopes to defend his national champion's title, and go one better, or three better as the case may be, by winning not just the jersey but the race itself. Last year's event was won by Italian Stefano Zanini, while McCormack finished in fourth place but as the first American to cross the line was awarded the national champion's jersey.

"The year seemed short now that it is over," McCormack told Cyclingnews, referring to his tenure as national champion. "I feel strong, and I am hoping that the combination of my fitness and my experience will come into play on Sunday. My team is riding well together, so I have as good a shot as anybody to win the race on Sunday.

"It's a great race regardless of the outcome," he added, "it's amazing to be a participant in such a fantastic race."

Philadelphia plays host each year to a seasoned peloton of the United States' top riders, but also a healthy contingent of international teams hoping to take the big payday and prestige of the now 20 year old race. McCormack is an experienced professional, but he doesn't expect to have any advantage on the field despite his position as defending national champion.

"It's a one day race, and everyone starts on the same page," he said. "The race has a history of playing itself out. I'll take some risks along the way by not covering certain things in hopes that the ones I decide to go with are the ones that are critical... Because after six hours you've got to use the matches that you have and in the right places. I'll be racing my normal conservative style."

Conservative he may be, but McCormack is proud of his role as unique team leader, and plans to make the most of it with the full support of his team. "The good thing is that I have a lot of guys who are willing to race for me," he said. McCormack finished last year with a talent-rich Saturn team, but this year heads the somewhat smaller, but no less ambitious Colavita Olive Oil squad.

"We don't have as much depth [as Saturn] so it's a little more clear-cut as to who the team will race for," he explained, referring to his new leadership status. "It doesn't make my job any easier, but it's nice going into a big race like that, knowing what my status is within the group. Knowing that I have nine other guys on the start like who are unified with one goal."

Rodriguez stays calm

Rodriguez is ready
Photo ©: Jon Devich

Despite stomach troubles and some adjustment required after three weeks of racing in the Giro d'Italia, two-time USPRO champion Fred Rodriguez (Acqua & Sapone) knows not to get too nervous about the Wachovia week. Rodriguez kept a cool head to overcome mechanical problems and sprint to victory in Thursday's Wachovia Classic in Trenton, New Jersey, his second win in the mid-week event.

"[Trenton] is a stage that suits me well," Rodriguez explained happily. "But mainly I want to save the legs for Sunday. If I feel things are looking a little iffy, I still have a couple of more days to recover."

Rodriguez is the last American to win not just the USPRO jersey, but the race itself in Philadelphia. His plan for this year remains the same as usual: "Just to be calm."

"It's a long race... It's a long week! There is a lot of time to think. I'll try to stay calm and to enjoy the atmosphere and not waste myself!"

Horner makes up for lost time

The win Horner's missing
Photo ©: Jon Devich

Chris Horner, the dominant American racer on home soil in recent years, has yet to add the USPRO jersey to his otherwise impressive palmarès. Still searching for his first national championship win in Philadelphia, Horner arrives this year with the Webcor team, a team entirely at his disposal for the 156 mile test. After a strong ride in the Tour de Georgia in April, Horner has not enjoyed the best of times on the bike, and heading into Sunday's race he's been looking to make up for lost time.

"I was sick a lot [after Georgia] so I missed more days there," Horner said. "I got one good week in before Connecticut, did [the race], and did a lot of training at Connecticut while I was racing. Then when I went back home it was snowing, 45 degrees and raining. A lot of things disrupting my training and I got one good training ride in.

"Now I am back here trying to fit some training in, squeezing it all in a short amount of time to try to find as much form as I can before Philly," he added.

"Sunday is a hard race to call," he said. "Normally you've got to gamble with the odds, and the odds are that nothing will go until three laps to go. You to stay out of trouble the whole day and let your team work, let them cover the moves.

"With three to go you start playing with the moves that will go to the finish," Horner noted. "Those normally come in Manayunk. I don't think the 'winning' move will come on the Manayunk wall, but the split will come on Manayunk. And the winning move will come out of there."

Cruz: "We want to win it flat out"

The United States' biggest professional team, US Postal Service, has not won in Philadelphia since George Hincapie's victory in 1998, and despite the allure of the national champion;s jersey, the big win remains the big goal. With Hincapie racing in Europe, fellow American Antonio Cruz is one of the team's hopes for victory, or for the jersey.

"I'm one of the Americans that can win it, so I've got to be focused on the other favourites," Cruz commented.

While he will enjoy protected status within the team, the flying Dutchman, Max Van Heeswijk, could be US Postal's top man for the day. Already the winner of numerous races this spring, Van Heeswijk opened the Wachovia week with an impressive victory in Lancaster on Tuesday.

"Obviously, Max is just killing it right now," Cruz said. "He is literally unstoppable. You know, if I can get a lead-out from Max... (laughs) That's ideal! But we've got quite a few guys here who can be USPRO champion.

"I think more important to win the race," he added. "We want to win it flat out. And I'm sure all of the other teams do too. That's the tricky part of it."

Courtesy: Mark Zalewski

Beloki malcontent

It's been a rough week for Joseba Beloki, who first found continuing difficulty due to allergies and asthma in his home tour, the Euskal Bizikleta, then found out through the cycling press that his employer has decided to pull the plug on the Brioches La Boulangère team at the end of the season.

Beloki remains frustrated that the French cycling federation (FFC) considers his habitual asthma medicine, which includes cortisone, a banned substance. The Spanish federation and Beloki's former ONCE-Eroski team accepted his documentation for the use of the medicine, but matters in France have proven more difficult.

Perhaps more importantly, however, is Beloki's disappointment at not having been alerted by his team that title sponsor Brioches La Boulangère had decided to withdraw from sponsorship at the end of the season. Beloki signed with the team for 2004-2005, but does not yet know what will become of the second half of his contract.

"I would have liked to have been kept informed by my directors," Beloki said upon hearing the news Thursday morning that the sponsorship would end. "Since the beginning, I've felt very good in this team. Everything has gone well with my teammates, but I think with the directors there's a problem with communication."

Beloki's mood seemed to grow only more angry a day later, after the news of La Boulangère's withdrawal had spread. "I have a two year contract, but with the parent company, not the sporting group," he told l'Equipe. "There are a lot of things that aren't normal in this team. I don't know if I'll be free [from my contract] or not, but I don't see myself here next year.

"The manner in which I learned the news is not good," he added.

Steels tips Boonen

Veteran Belgian sprinter Tom Steels (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago) returned to winning ways last week in the Tour de Luxembourg, winning his first sprint since the Etoile de Bessèges stage race in the early season, and coming back to the top after a back injury sustained in a crash while racing on the track with Matthew Gilmore at the Moscow World Cup.

While still working to find his very best form, Steels isn't afraid to contemplate an eventual battle with his country's new sprint sensation, Tom Boonen (Quick.Step-Davitamon). At the same time, Steels tips Boonen as a serious rival to Alessandro Petacchi's sprint supremacy at this year's Tour de France.

"It's true that the duel will come one of these days," Steels said of his own confrontation with Boonen in a La Dernière Heure article. "Boonen is very strong but I also know what I'm capable of. I want to find my old form. Anything is possible, though I'm not yet thinking about national championships or the Olympics."

As for the sprints to come in the Tour, Steels recognises as most do that Petacchi remains the man to beat, particularly after his impressive nine stage wins at the Giro d'Italia.

"He's the fastest, he has the experience, and his team and his morale are floating on a cloud," Steels said of the Fassa Bortolo fast man. "Beating him at the Tour won't be easy for Boonen, but there are a number of opportunities. He'll get stronger in the second week while Petacchi won't be as good. It's simple, right now my favourite for the Champs-Elysées is Tom Boonen."

Fracture for Osa

Unai Osa (Illes Balears-Banesto) saw his participation in the Euskal Bizikleta come to a crashing conclusion on the climb of the Santa Agueda in stage 3. Osa fell and fractured his clavicle, repeating the same accident from this year's Amstel Gold Race. Osa was back in competition after a long recovery from Amstel Gold but now his season is once again on hold until a possible comeback to focus on the Vuelta a España.

Evans to lead in Austria

Australian Cadel Evans will lead the T-Mobile team in the upcoming Tour of Austria (June 7-13). Evans won the tour, now called the Wiesbauer Tour, in 2001 when he rode with the Italian Saeco team. T-Mobile's Paolo Savoldelli was expected to race in Austria, but now won't be making an appearance. According to the team's website, he has only been back training on the road for three weeks after recovering from his crash in Rund um Köln, and is "working intensively at home on his comeback." Torsten Hiekmann, second place in the recent Tour de Luxembourg, will replace Savoldelli in Austria.

T-Mobile for Tour of Austria: Mario Aerts, Cadel Evans,Torsten Hiekmann, Sergej Jakowlew, Tomas Konecny, Stephan Schreck, Christian Werner

Courtesy of Susan Westemeyer

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