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Mont Ventoux
Photo ©: Sirotti

First Edition Cycling News for April 8, 2005

Edited by Jeff Jones and Hedwig Kröner

Wesemann the spearhead in Roubaix

Giling in for injured Klier

Marcus Burghardt
Photo ©: Jon Devich
Click for larger image

Steffen Wesemann will spearhead the eight-man T-Mobile line-up in Sunday's 103rd Paris-Roubaix. The veteran classics specialist, who abandoned the Tour of Flanders because of illness, skipped Wednesday's Gent-Wevelgem to dedicate more time for intensive training sessions with his coach Thomas Schediwie.

Paris Roubaix will be a baptism of fire for the young Dutch neo-pro Bas Giling, who will make his ProTour debut in the 259 km Hell of the North. Giling is stepping in for the injured Andreas Klier. The in-form Klier crashed out of Gent-Wevelgem on Wednesday and his injuries have forced the hands of the team management.

"Bas has turned in some great performances in recent weeks and he has earned his call up," said the team's director Mario Kummer. "We have total confidence in him." The 22-year-old Giling is not a complete newcomer to Paris-Roubaix. He was only narrowly beaten into second place in the U23 race there last season.

Joining 'Wese' and Giling for the cobbled torture test in France's bleak north-east are Rolf Aldag, Sergey Ivanov, Stephan Schreck, Marcus Burghardt and the sprint duo of Eric Baumann and Erik Zabel.

Burghardt is the second neo-pro in the magenta roster. The 21 year-old Saxon - the youngest of the 27 riders on T-Mobile's books - has been turning in consistently strong performances in the last months. And he is also no stranger to the cruel demands of the 'Queen of the Classics' either. The young gun finished fourth behind Giling is last year's U23 event.

The T-Mobile roster: Rolf Aldag, Eric Baumann, Marcus Burghardt, Bas Giling, Sergey Ivanov, Stephan Schreck, Steffen Wesemann and Erik Zabel.

Paris-Roubaix: Sutherland replaces Löwik

Rabobank's Gerben Löwik will not be able to start in Paris-Roubaix on Sunday due to the injuries he suffered in a crash at the Ronde Van Vlaanderen. Australian rider Rory Sutherland will therefore participate in the 'Hell of the North' to replace his teammate. The Rabobank line-up at the classic race also includes Jan Boven, Steven de Jongh, Ronald Mutsaars, Mathew Hayman, Pedro Horrillo, Roy Sentjens and Marc Wauters.

Van Heeswijk out

Max Van Heeswijk will not take the start at this year's Paris-Roubaix. The Discovery Channel rider is down with a tooth and gum infection, and was unable to finish Gent-Wevelgem on Wednesday, where he had to abandon after 20 km.

"Max now aims at the Scheldeprijs on April 13," said team director Dirk Demol on Thursday. "His physical condition does not allow him to start in Paris-Roubaix at all. After the Scheldeprijs, we will decide on a possible participation in Amstel Gold Race."

AG2R for Scheldeprijs and Denain

French professional continental team AG2R has announced its rosters for the Grote Scheldeprijs and the Grand Prix de Denain on April 13 and 14. Directeur sportif Gilles Mas will be managing both races, where the following riders will depart:

Grote Scheldeprijs (April 13) - Simon Gerrans, Lloyd Mondory, Jean-Patrick Nazon, Erki Putsep, Christophe Riblon, Marc Scanlon, Alexandre Usau and Tomas Vaitkus.

Grand Prix de Denain (April 14) - Yuriy Krivtsov, Laurent Mangel, Lloyd Mondory, Jean- Patrick Nazon, Erki Putsep, Marc Scanlon (or Simon Gerrans), Alexandre Usau and Tomas Vaitkus.

Leipheimer leads Gerolsteiner in Georgia

The German ProTeam Gerolsteiner will take part in the Dodge Tour de Georgia between April 19-24, with Levi Leipheimer as team captain. "We have received an invitation and have said that we will happily be at this race," said team coordinator Theo Maucher.

Team boss Hans-Michael Holczer commented that the race would be good for the team, not only for its American bike sponsor Specialized, but also for the fact that "our stage race specialist Levi Leipheimer is getting another opportunity to present himself to his American fans and to test his form with regard to the Tour de France."

In addition to Leipheimer, René Haselbacher, Peter Wrolich, Sven Krauß, Heinrich Haussler and Matthias Ruß will race in Georgia. The team's director will be Reimund Dietzen.

Boonen's success pays off

Tom Boonen (Quick.Step)
Photo ©: Sirotti
Click for larger image

Davitamon manager Marc Coucke has already stressed it, but now also Patrick Lefevere's Quick.Step team is proving to be an excellent vehicle for its sponsors to invest their budgets. Philiep Caryn, PR manager at QuickStep, told the Belgian press that Boonen's win in Flanders has had a huge impact: "Of course Tom's win is a golden scenario for us. We estimate that last Sunday's race alone accounts for a commercial return of 350,000 to 400,000 euro."

Mattan to ride in Diksmuide criterium

Nico Mattan (Davitamon-Lotto), the winner of the 67th Gent-Wevelgem, has become the first rider to sign on for the Natour Broker Criterium in Diksmuide, Belgium. The race a post-Tour de France criterium to be held on Tuesday, July 26 and it is Mattan's first criterium contract of the year.

More information: www.criteriumdiksmuide.be

Haywood at Sea Otter and "Off Road to Athens"

Starting April 14, mountain biking returns home to California, USA, for the 15th Annual Sea Otter Classic, a four-day stage race featuring the Super XC, Time Trial, Short Track and Cross Country. Mountain biker Sue Haywood cites Sea Otter's high level of competition, its international attraction and its value to racers as reasons why both racers and spectators flock to Sea Otter each year.

"I think Sea Otter represents the best of racing in the U.S.," explained Haywood. "The competition level hits a high mark; there are often some Europeans who make the trip over and usually the full contingent of Canadians are there. The top U.S. riders bring their A game, plus you have a couple of road racers who excel on the non-technical course."

Haywood returns this year for her fifth Sea Otter Classic. In addition to racing, Haywood will visit local schools Henry F. Kammann Elementary, Ord Terrace Elementary and others to explain her job as a professional bike racer and to inspire kids to get out and ride. "The Sea Otter Classic forges a strong sense of community between the event and its hosting region because many of the racers visit schools to encourage kids to get outside and get active. We want to both show off our sport while helping to end childhood obesity," Haywood said.

Prior to last year's Olympics, Haywood found herself caught up in a "crazy points race" which would determine who would fill the U.S.'s only spot for a female mountain biker. Four women, all vying for the solitary Olympic berth, chased UCI points on three continents. Their hard-won victories, agonizing defeats and desperate attempts to gain coveted points were captured on film in "Off Road to Athens," a documentary about eight athletes - four women and four men - and their aspirations to become Olympians.

The premier of "Off Road to Athens" will be shown at the Golden State Theater in Monterey, Calif. on April 15 and 16. Haywood will attend and be available to answer questions before and perhaps after the features.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.offroadtoathens.com

For more information about this year's Sea Otter Classic, visit www.seaotterclassic.com

Lipton Tea sponsors women's pro team

Lipton Tea has announced its title sponsorship of the TEAm Lipton Pro Cycling and Triathlon team, a women's squad based in America. TEAm Lipton kicked off its 2005 schedule at the PoolGel Redlands Classic in Redlands, CA, and will race in the Wachovia Classic (Philadelphia, PA), NYC Ford Triathlon (New York, NY), Manhattan Beach Grand Prix (Manhattan Beach, CA) and the Downers Grove Criterium (Downers Grove, IL), among other NRC, Pro Cycling Tour and Women's Prestige Cycling Tour events. The triathletes' schedule includes World Cup Olympic distance events and ultra-endurance Ironman competitions, including the World Championships in Hawaii.

TEAm Lipton consists of the following athletes:

Kristen LaSasso (USA)
Anna Milkowski (Can)
Katherine Lambden (USA)
Zoe Owers (USA)
Elisa Gagnon (Can)
Rebeccah Wassner (USA)
Margaret Schotte (USA)
Kiki Rutkowski (USA)

CCA hires Leblanc as MTB coach

The Canadian Cycling Association has announced the signing of Michel Leblanc to a four-year contract as National Mountain Bike Coach. Leblanc is personal coach to Olympic silver medallist Marie-Hélène Prémont, he has managed or coached the Canadian team at numerous international events since 2001 - including the Athens Olympics - and he has held the position of Quebec coach since 1999. He also holds a bachelor's in physical education from the University of Sherbrooke and is a certified teacher. Leblanc will begin his position on May 2.

The National Mountain Bike Coach's responsibilities include developing the National Team MTB program, monitoring athletes, recommending athlete selection to the High Performance Committee, contributing to the development of selection criteria and working with the National Cycling Centres to ensure the development of future National Team members.

"Michel has played an active role within our MTB program over the last few years," said High Performance manager Sean O'Donnell. "He was the guy we wanted to fill this role and we couldn't be happier to have him. He's familiar with most of our athletes across all age categories and more importantly the athletes are familiar with him."

Quebec indoor velodrome project started

As part of the festivities for the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City, the Quebec City National Cycling Center (CNCQ) has brought forward a project that would see the construction of a multi-sport center including an international-caliber indoor cycling track. This multi-sport centre would be able to host basketball, tennis, volleyball and other sports, cultural or business events. The facility would also be able to host high-level international cycling events, including the 2007 Junior World Championships, the 2008 Elite World Championships, and World Cup track events.

The President of the Quebec Cycling Federation transmitted an outline of the project and a funding request to Quebec's sports minister, Mr. Jean-Marc Fournier, on March 21. The funding request would cover the cost of a feasibility study to determine the project's viability.

Canada currently has no indoor velodrome that meets international criteria, hindering its ability to produce future champions. By means of comparison, Australia, with a population of just under 20 million, has six indoor velodromes. Australia's track program - led by Martin Barras, a Quebec city native - has produced impressive results: at the Athens Olympics, Australia dominated track cycling with five gold, two silver and two bronze medals out of 12 events.

The project participants intend to present the project in terms of its benefits for the Quebec City region and its strategic importance in supporting Canadian cycling's efforts to secure results at an international level.

Strabane to feature in Tour of Ulster

By Tommy Campbell, Irish Independent, Evening Herald, Sunday Independent

The Tour of Ulster proclaimed as the premier cycle race in the North, will have two stage ends in Strabane this year. It's the first time for the event to make its way to Strabane. Local cycling representative Colin Boyle, who is on the organising committee, has been involved in the planning.

Stage 2, on Sunday, May 1, brings the expected one hundred cyclists from Craigavon, over the top of Lough Neagh, onto Strabane by way of some of the hilliest roads in the Sperrins. Unfortunately, the competitors will have little time to enjoy the spectacular views, as they race at top speed for the finish, alongside Strabane's Canal Basin. The race is expected to arrive there around 3.30 pm on Sunday.

The next morning from 9:00 am the riders will be in action again, for stage 3, a short two mile time trial. Colin Boyle said today that the time trial, while by far the shortest of the four stages, will be critical in deciding the eventual winner.

"Last year Tommy Evans won the overall event by virtue of just a few seconds that he gained in the time trial at Gorton Glen," said Boyle. "I think the same could happen again this year." Tribune people will have a unique opportunity to see the time trial on Monday 2 May. It will be based around the Canal Basin area, and will last for nearly two hours.

The Tour of Ulster is the major cycle race promoted under the auspices of Cycling Ulster, and competitors will represent the top cycling teams in Ireland. An Isle of Man representative team has entered, as have teams from Ulster, Leinster, Connaught and Munster.

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