First Edition Cycling News for December 29, 2005

Edited by John Stevenson & Jeff Jones

Sastre ready for 2006

By Jesper Johannesen, Feltet.dk

Carlos Sastre
Photo: © J. Devich/Cyclingnews

Carlos Sastre is one of the stage-race specialists on Team CSC, but despite victories like his 2003 Tour de France stage win in Plateau de Bonascre, he's often been in the shadow of the team's other stars - Laurent Jalabert, Tyler Hamilton and lately Ivan Basso. But there's no doubt that team manager Bjarne Riis rates the diminutive Spaniard highly.

Sastre says that for 2006 the pressure certainly hasn't decreased with the new signing of the new riders, in fact it has probably just increased. As top ProTour team in 2005 Team CSC is expected to get results. "We're a group of good riders, and the season is long. We have to get out and win some races, because we're such a big team", he says. "We will have a lot of pressure on ourselves in the next season too."

Sastre's own preparation for the season is focused very much on the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España. "I'm going to ride the Tour de France year, where the goal will be to help Ivan Basso," he says. The role as a helper for the Tour captain isn't new for the Spanish climber, but will be different from with his role as a helper for, say, Tyler Hamilton, where Sastre also had the opportunity to take his own chances. This time it looks like everything will be focused on a victory for Ivan Basso. Bjarne Riis has previously said that a team shouldn't be focused on only one captain unless there's a clear opportunity for an overall victory. With Ivan Basso's strong performance last year the situation is clear.

On the other hand Carlos Sastre will get the same support in his home country's grand tour as Ivan Basso in the Tour de France. Sastre finished a very fine third place in this year's Vuelta a España. "I've had a good season this year, where I reached the podium in the Vuelta, and I want to do that again," he says.

Both Sastre and Basso will ride two Grand Tours in 2006 and be expected to perform well in both - not necessarily by the team, but as an Italian Basso will be in the spotlight in the Giro d'Italia. But Sastre doesn't think double grand tours will be a problem.

"Normally I should be capable of doing that," he says. "I did that last season, and actually I've done so almost [every season] since I turned pro. My racing calendar will of course be arranged so that it will fit that, and therefore I hope that this will be possible again. After the Tour I'll relax a little and prepare thoroughly for the Vuelta."

The season hasn't started yet, but the preparations are already well under way, and with the winter coming to Denmark, Carlos Sastre has returned to warmer skies, where snow and slippery roads won't interfere in building up his shape for the season.

T-Mobile's Ludwig "positive about the future"

By Susan Westemeyer

"Jan Ullrich will continue to be our captain. He is our chief, so to speak. He has the biggest potential," says T-Mobile Team manager Olaf Ludwig. Does he have the potential to win the Tour de France in 2006? "The two long time trials are surely not a disadvantage for Jan. But that doesn't mean, that he will win the Tour." In fact, Ludwig says in an interview on www.t-mobile-team.com "Ivan Basso is the main one to beat. But it remains to be seen, how he will deal with the pressure of being the favourite for the Tour." Ludwig's other favourites include not only Ullrich, but also Valverde, Vinokourov, Landis, Cunego and Popovych.

Looking to the future of not only his team but of German cycling, Ludwig says that the "single minded focus on Jan Ullrich" is not good -- "cycling is more than Jan Ullrich and the Tour de France." He finds it good that young riders like Patrik Sinkewitz and Linus Gerdemann, both of whom will ride for T-Mobile next year, have appeared on the scene. "They give us hope that even after the 'Ullrich era," (German) cycling will continue on the same level." He refused to say what kind of results he expects them to deliver in the future, saying, "I want to give them time to develop." However, he notes that Gerdemann should ride in one of the Grand Tours and that the Tour is "a theme" for Sinkewitz. An additional help for the future popularity of cycling in Germany will be the presence of three major teams, T-Mobile, Gerolsteiner and Milram. "That is an advantage for all of us," he notes. "Overall I'm very positive about the future. With the new Pro Tour series and the talented young riders, we're on the right way."

Tasmania's Silverdome set to be refurbished

By Gerard Knapp

Grant Atkins, Graeme Hodskiss and Jim Cox
Photo: © Gerard Knapp

The Launceston Silverdome, the unique 285-metre velodrome complex in the Tasmanian city that hosts one of the popular 'Christmas Carnivals', is set to have a major upgrade in early 2006.

The Minister for Sport in the Tasmanian State Government, Jim Cox, told Cyclingnews at the Silverdome last night during the track racing that the Government will soon call for tenders for major refurbishment work to the multi-sport and entertainment venue.

While the Minister said there was no defined budget for the work, it's expected it may cost between $2-3 million, and include new roofing and upgrading general amenities within the complex.

The work may also extend to refurbishing the track surface, which has suffered over the years of constant use and the state of the roofing, but is still considered one of the finest and fastest velodromes in Australia.

According to Grant Atkins, the chairman of SCAT committee, the track is made from Tasmanian hardwood and was designed and built by legendary Australian (but British-based) velodrome builder Ron Webb.

While there is some debate over the merits of resurfacing the velodrome, a similar project was supervised by Webb to the hardwood velodrome used in the Athens 2004 Olympics, a velodrome where three new world records were set.

The Minister said it's expected that the government will call for tenders as early as January 3, 2006. He said the government was delighted with the popularity of the Christmas Carnivals. "I love the bikes," he said. "It's a good deal. It's got great racing at a really high standard, excellent crowds and many international riders."

Operation for Power

By Shane Stokes

Ciarán Power
Photo: © Shane Stokes

Navigators Insurance rider Ciarán Power is hoping to finally get on top of a long-running muscular problem when he goes under the knife early in the New Year. Following months of frustrating misdiagnoses, the 29 year old Irishman believes he is close to solving the leg muscle issue which has dogged him ever since he finished a fine 13th in the Olympic road race in Athens. The problem flares up under the intensive efforts of racing, leeching power from his leg and making it difficult to compete.

The double FBD Milk Rás winner has carried the injury for almost a year and a half. In that time consultation with doctors and specialists had led him to believe that it was firstly a leg issue, then a back problem and finally a potential blood flow problem. However now Power believes that the correct source has been identified.

"Over the winter I have been up and down to the Mater hospital [in Dublin] trying to find out what is wrong with me. We had thought it was blood flow problem, but it turns out not to be that. I got some nerve conduction studies done and that showed that my obturator nerve is trapped."

Power was supposed to be seen by an Irish surgeon but, after waiting three weeks, he was told that the specialist had declined to take on the case. "It has been frustrating dealing with Irish doctors…the thing is that the problem is so rare. I went to a respected doctor in the NCTC [National Coaching and Training Centre] - he has been working for 30 years, with 25 of those specialising in sports medicine. He said that in all that time, he had never seen my injury. It is pretty unusual."

"I did a lot of searching around on the internet and have now found a doctor in London. He is back in work in the first week in January and will look at me then. He said he can get me in for surgery that week.

"The operation is a rare one. It has never been done in Ireland and I think that there has only been one done in England. But this particular doctor has worked in Australia alongside two others, dealing with over 150 cases. So he is well up to date with it."

Power has been through a very frustrating time but there have been moments when the problem relented and he was able to show glimpses of his ability. "I came good in the Tour of Britain. I had really good form there and almost won that last stage. I was supposed to do the lead out for the team there; the guy in front of me did his bit and left me on the front with two corners to go. The rider I was supposed to lead out lost the wheel, though, so I jumped early and went absolutely full on into the last corner, saying to myself that if I don't crash, I have a good chance of winning. I got a good gap but was closed down in the last couple of metres, finishing fourth. It was unfortunate, but it was an encouraging way to end the season nonetheless. It had been such a bad year."

Providing the operation is a success, the Irishman is aiming to be back in good form in 2006. In the past he finished fifth and sixth in bunch sprint finishes in the Giro d'Italia [he rode it as a first year pro in 2000] and took 13th in Athens. He's hoping to build on those past results next season.

"I'll be starting later than the other guys on the team, but my goal is to be at 100% for the Tour of Georgia. I didn't go there last year as I obviously wasn't going well with the injury, losing my place on the A squad. It's been a pretty tough experience, but I want to get back up there now and start riding well again."

Simeoni to carry Olympic torch

Filippo Simeoni (Naturino-Sapore di Mare) will carry the Winter Olympic torch through the centre of Latina on New Year's Day. Starting from 14:30, Simeoni will ride his bike carrying the torch on a route between via Curtatone and via 28 Dicembre.

"It is a unique emotion, I'm happy with this important recognition, for me to carry the Olympic torch," said Simeoni. His team manager, Vincenzo Santoni, added, "It's an important moment that rewards our team that has been involved for years in professional cycling."

Liberty Seguros signs 28th rider

Carlos Abellán has become Liberty Seguros-Würth's 28th rider, making the jump from the U23 team into the ProTour squad. Abellán is the fourth rider from the U23 that has made the step, together with Jose Antonio Redondo, Jose Joaquín Rojas and Eladio Sanchez. In addition, other Würth-Liberty Seguros U23 riders will turn pro with other teams: Carlos Capitán (Viña Magna), Óscar García Casarrubios (Relax) and Jose Antonio Baños (Murcia Turística).

Liberty's ProTour roster for 2006 now contains Carlos Abellán (Spa), Dariusz Baranowski (Pol), Carlos Barredo (Spa), Joseba Beloki (Spa), Giampaolo Caruso (Ita), Alberto Contador (Spa), Allan Davis (Aus), Koen De Kort (Ned), David Etxebarria (Spa), Jörg Jaksche (Ger), Andrei Kashechkin (Kaz), Aaron Kemps (Aus), Daniel Navarro (Spa), Isidro Nozal (Spa), Aitor Osa (Spa), Unai Osa (Spa), Sergio Paulinho (Por), Javier R. Abeja (Spa), José Antonio Redondo (Spa), José Joaquín Rojas (Spa), Eladio Sánchez (Spa), Luis León Sánchez (Spa), Iván Santos (Spa), Michele Scarponi (Ita), Marcos Serrano (Spa), Ángel Vicioso (Spa), Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) and Sergei Yakolev (Kaz).

An American crosser in Belgium

US under-23 cyclocrossers Morgan Schmitt and Adam McGrath are in Belgium preparing for the world championships, and posting diaries on the website of their sponsor Redline as they come to to terms with the reality of racing cross in cold, dark and wet European conditions. On Sunday, the duo lined up for the under-23 race at the Hofstade world cup.

"We arrived at the venue at 8:45, which so happened to be the time the sun came up enough to see the course (since Belgium is practically up near the North Pole)," writes Schmitt. "Our early arrival still didn't allow enough time for a good warm-up since we spent an hour or so listening to Flemish directions in our attempt to locate registration. It was raining on an off the whole morning and by the time we started, we could still see our breaths .. in other words, perfect Euro 'cross conditions!"

The notable feature of the Hofstade course was its sand traps. "It should be known as "the beach." That's all it's about. The question is can you, or can't you, ride sand?" writes McGrath. "Hofstade is known entirely for its sand because the rest of the course is a short, fast, cakewalk," says Schmitt. "The sand for the most part was dry and fluffy which provided very few predictable lines. The first and third sections of sand were rideable a majority of the time and the others were always a crap shoot."

A novelty for Schmitt was being able to watch the subsequent elite men's race on TV. "Watching it on TV is the best way to see the Elite race since its very hard to find a good viewing spot when 15,000 fans are lining the course," he writes. "It's so hard to get a front row viewing spot that most of the photographers stand IN the course. The TV coverage is also cool because you can compare how the pros excel at riding the same lines we struggled with just a couple of hours earlier."

Ullrich Tour win voted Germany's most moving sports moment

By Susan Westemeyer

Germany's most moving sports moment of all time was Jan Ullrich's 1997 victory in the Tour de France, according to a poll conducted by the German TV channel NDR. "The 23-year-old from Rostock has done what no other German has done. Jan Ullrich wins the Tour de France and is King of cycling," says the channel's website about Ullrich's win.

Second place went to Boris Becker's first Wimbledon win, and third was Germany's football world championship in 1954. The only other cycling event on the list was 44th: Täve Schur forgoes the cycling world champions title, 1960. "The Road World Champion of 1958 and 1959 and Peace Tour winner of 1955 and 1959 became a living legend in cycling in 1960. With a tactically masterful performance during the Amateur world championships in 1960 Schur helped his team-mate Berhnard Eckstein to defeat the very strong Belgian Vandenbergen, and thus sacrificing his own chances of a third world championship title in a row."

New sponsor for Phonak

The Phonak Cycling Team has signed a new presenting sponsor in Barclays Global Investors and its brand "iShares", the team has announced. The deal is for one year, and neither party will disclose how much money is involved. "With iShares we are getting a partner who is renowned as a global player and one who is committed to the sponsorship of professional cycling," said ARcycling owner Andy Rihs. "These are the best prerequisites for an ideal, long-term partnership."

iShares spokesman Lee Kranefuss said, "We believe that a partnership with one of the world's best cycling teams is an ideal multiplier for our message and that it will help to increase the name recognition of the iShares brand world wide."

Supplement sponsor for Gerolsteiner

The Gerolsteiner team will be getting its sports supplements from First Endurance for the next two years. The Salt Lake City, Utah company will supply Gerolsteiner with Optygen, Multi-V, E3 and Ultragen, and will work closely with the team on new product development. It's expected that some of these new products will be ready by the Tour of California next February.

The sponsorship evolved from a 2005 agreement between First Endurance and Gerolsteiner rider Levi Leipheimer. "Levi had his best year ever in 2005," said Robert Kunz, VP of Research and Development at First Endurance. "He won the Tour of Germany, got sixth in the Tour de France, second in the Tour of Georgia and third in the Dauphiné. The other guys on the team saw how Levi was training and what he was using from a nutritional standpoint. They knew we were working with Levi on his diet and were providing him with product. Naturally, the other guys wanted to try First Endurance stuff too. Because they all noticed the benefits, they kept asking Levi to get them product. The sponsorship came about because the riders wanted First Endurance products and wanted to be able to work with the First Endurance directly."

"We're very pleased that the Gerolsteiner team has chosen to partner with First Endurance for the next two years," said Mike Fogarty, VP of Sales & Marketing at First Endurance. "This partnership will allow First Endurance to gain brand awareness in Europe and continue to expand in North America."

Cyclingnews reader awards 2005

A controversial incident in the Tour de France produced the best photo of 2005 while it was almost a tie for most improved rider.

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