TdF Cycling News for July 2, 2005

Edited by Hedwig Kröner

Ullrich and Pereiro crash

T-Mobile captain Jan Ullrich has crashed into the rear window of the team car being driven by directeur sportif Mario Kummer on Friday during motor training. Ullrich slid into the back of the car which had hit the brakes hard on a slippery section of road. He suffered cuts and scratches, also one minor cut to his face, as the window broke on impact, but team doctor Lothar Heinrich said, "They are just surface wounds. They don't need to be stitched." Ullrich also confirmed, "I'm fine, it's not that bad."

As the rain and wind in the Vendée region still continue, Phonak's Oscar Pereiro also crashed today during training on the streets around Nantes. The Spaniard bruised his hips, buttocks and left knee and elbow. "Of course the bruises hurt, but for the start of the Tour nothing stands in our way," team doctor Thomas Klimaschka boldly said. No other crashes have been reported from the teams so far.

Rogers hasn't signed yet

There have been numerous rumours surrounding Michael Rogers' change of teams. The Quickstep rider has been reported to have signed a contract with T-Mobile for next season. Cyclingnews asked him about the state of things at the Tour start in Challans, and 'Mick' declined. "I have had talks with [T-Mobile] but as of now nothing has been signed and I am going to wait until after the Tour before I will be making any more decisions," he said.

Watch out for our interview with Michael Rogers, which will available soon.

CSC sponsor for another three years?

Bjarne Riis has been working hard to close a new sponsor deal before the end of the season and it seems that an agreement has been reached with CSC for a prolongation of the sponsorship for another three years. According to Ole Egeblad, CSC, they are very close to signing a new deal and only minor issues has yet to be discussed.

"I can't say if it happens in a day or in a week, but obviously we are working on getting everything ready as soon as possible. An announcement at the Tour de France would be a good time," Ole Egeblad said to Feltet.dk referring to media exposure at the Tour.

Ole Egeblad will be in France himself to follow the team’s effort to bring Ivan Basso on the podium once more and perhaps even to climb up a step or two comparing to last year where he ended at the third place behind Lance Armstrong and Andreas Klöden. CSC has been very satisfied with the exposure during their sponsor period, and Egeblad expects the positive outcome to continue during a new period.

"We expect the team to deliver the results like they have done until now. It is no secret that we have been satisfied; otherwise we wouldn't be sitting at the negotiation table. On the other hand we are also aware that Bjarne Riis and Co. have some expectations and wish for an increase of the amount," the CSC manager of sponsorship explained.

The results are of course important for the sponsor of a cycling team, and Egeblad knows that the riders of Team CSC have perhaps delivered even more than he could have hoped for. "Of course the results mean a lot, but you can't ignore the fact that Bjarne Riis has done a fantastic job. I don't think any other team has managed to do a well during that short period of time. The team has existed for four and a half years and they have been on the podium each year: Two years with the mountain jersey, a year winning the team competition and last year with a third place overall," Egeblad pointed out, bringing also Hamilton, Sastre, Basso, Voigt, Julich, Zabriskie and Jacob Piil into focus. The announcement of a new sponsorship deal is therefore expected shortly if CSC and Bjarne Riis manage to sort out the final details.

Gerolsteiner fires part-time soigneur

Gerolsteiner team manager Hans-Micheal Holczer today announced that the team has let part-time soigneur Jürgen Scholl go. The physiotherapist is supposed to have sent e-mails in 2001 seeking information on the effectiveness of doping substances, including growth hormones and insulin.

Scholl is one of several part-time physiotherapists who works for the team. "When I heard about the charges at the Bayern Rundfahrt this year, I talked to him about them. He confirmed the e-mail messages, but said he was only looking for information and so on. That was enough for me. We naturally concluded our work with him and notified our sponsor," said Holczer.

As a result of the affair, Holczer required all team members, including the team's two press spokesmen, to sign an agreement under which they promise not to inform themselves about, transport or distribute doping substances.

Courtesy of Susan Westemeyer

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