Latest Cycling News for March 23, 2005Edited by Jeff Jones Cappelle to defend in Dwars door VlaanderenLudovic Cappelle (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago) will be in action today (Wednesday) to defend his title in the 60th Dwars door Vlaanderen, a Belgian semi-classic that starts in Kortrijk and finishes in Waregem in West Flanders. Capelle, who beat Jaan Kirsipuu and Roger Hammond when he attacked with 2 km to go in last year's race, doesn't consider himself a big favourite for today. "I'm still struggling with a too big a break from racing," he told Sportwereld.be. "The winter weather and a crash in the Classic Haribo has really messed up my preparation. With just the Etoile de Bessèges and a handful of one day races in the legs, you can't count yourself among the favourites. Today I'll wait until after the Oude Kwaremont, then I'll feel the legs, or if it's a bit too fast, I doubt that it will be positive. If I realise that it won't be my day, I'll offer myself to someone else within the team. I think Ludo Dierckxsens is our man in form. For myself, I hope to be in good condition by the end of the KBC Driedaagse van De Panne-Koksijde, so that I can try to get a nice win in one of the following races, as I did two years ago." Besides Capelle, other notable starters include Steven De Jongh (Rabobank), Tom Boonen (Quick.Step), Thor Hushovd (Credit Agricole), Peter Van Petegem (Davitamon-Lotto), Stijn Devolder (Discovery Channel), Nico Eeckhout (Chocolade Jacques), Lars Michaelsen (CSC) and Alexandre Vinokourov (T-Mobile). It is not part of the ProTour, and there are only nine ProTour teams of the 24 teams at the start. The race starts in the Markt in Kortrijk at 11:45, then travels northeast before heading through Waregem for the first time after 51 km, then the usual loop through the Vlaamse Ardennen. The climbs are the Kattenberg, Berendries, Valkenberg, Knokteberg, Oude Kwaremont, Kalkhoveberg, Paterberg, Tiegemberg, Nokereberg and Holstraat (twice). The race finishes with two laps of a 15 km circuit in Waregem.
An interview with Antonio CruzThe breakthroughAntonio Cruz was a regular member of the US Postal squad, and continues to be so as part of the Discovery Channel outfit. The popular rider went four years in Europe without a win, until August last year when he won stage two of the Tour de l'Ain. Thing are looking good, and Shane Stokes discussed what could be a stellar 2005.
A big turning point in the career of US rider Antonio Cruz came on August 11th last year when the then US Postal Service rider sprinted to his first European career victory on the second stage of the Tour de l'Ain. José Azevedo, Benjamin Noval and Daniel Rincon were all clear with their teammate in a break towards the end of the 142 kilometre stage to Oyonnax and helped set him up for what was a very important win. Four years in Europe without a victory had been a big mental block, but smashing through that barrier helped change his mentality. "It was a big moment for me all right," he agrees. "It was good to show the team that if I had guys to set up something like that for me, that I can win. Taking that first European victory did a lot...it gave me confidence and really motivated me." Cruz went on to ride the Vuelta a España, taking fourth place on stage 16. He had been gunning for a win but says that while the legs were strong, things didn't work out tactically. "I got on the right breakaway, but played the cards sort of wrong. Di Luca and I put ourselves out of the victory trying to watch each other. But those two rides gave me a lot of confidence so I will try to do something special this year." The 33-year-old is a former criterium specialist who took the US title in the discipline in 1999. One year later he won the U.S. Olympic Trials road race, earning a spot on the team for the Sydney games, a victory he considers as perhaps his most important of his career. He landed a trial with US Postal Service team and fitted in well, earning a contract for 2001. Since then he's been part of Lance's squad, migrating with most of the other riders across to Discovery once sponsorship changed. But with new colours comes new ambitions and, confidence buoyed by that win last season, he's setting his sights higher this spring. Click here for the full interview Merckx devastated by critical illness of motherBy Carlton Reid, www.bikebiz.co.uk Smoking a cigarette to calm his nerves, Eddy Merckx opened up emotionally to a small group of English journalists after an evening meal in a rustic restaurant high in the hills above Rimini, Italy. The meal was organised by the committee of the Riccione Bike Hotel group who sat with Merckx on one table. At the other table were four journalists and the PR manager for British Cycling. Starting this year, Eddy Merckx bikes are the official loan bikes of the 14 hotels that market themselves to roadies around the world. Towards the end of the evening Merckx answered a cellphone call from his sister. She urged him to return home sooner than planned as his mother had been rushed to hospital with a thrombosis in the head. While cars were being readied to get everybody down to Riccione, Merckx went outside to light a cigarette on the terrace of the Castel Albereto restaurant. He apologised to the journalists for cutting short the evening (in fact, it was 11.30pm). With rheumy eyes, he explained what the telephone call had been about and why he needed to leave on an early flight to Brussels. "I'm smoking," he said, blowing smoke into the air. "I don't normally. I'm very worried. A mother is better than a wife at looking after you. My mother means everything to me. I need to get back. I want to spend time with her. I hope she can have more years to come. She made me." He said he didn't get enough time with his father when he died in the 1980s. Unprompted, Merckx also talked about the death of Tommy Simpson in 1967. "We shared a room [at races], you know this? I was the only member of [the] Peugeot [team] to go to his funeral. The only one. Tom was a real friend. I still miss him." Armstrong back in CamembertLance Armstrong will definitely not start in this Sunday's Brabantse Pijl, according to his Discovery Channel team direction. He will instead return to racing in Paris-Camembert next week (March 29), followed by the Tour of Flanders (April 3) and Tour de Georgia (April 19-24). Meares kicks off for Australia in LA
Olympic and World Champion and world record holder, Anna Meares (21), will kick off the Australian 'Cyclones' campaign at the 2005 Track Cycling World Championships in Los Angeles. Meares will line up in defence of her 500m time trial crown at the ADT Event Centre Velodrome on Thursday night (local time), and as the reigning World Champion will be the last rider to post a time. "I always go into a race trying to win it but I'm not putting too much expectation on myself," said Meares. "The time trial is basically the time trial and you really can't do much planning other than to ride flat out." Meares said she's been pleased with the reaction of her competitors to her status as Olympic Champion. "Since Athens it's a really nice feeling to have the respect of my rivals," said Meares. "Girls who haven't seen me since Athens have come up to me to congratulate me." Having achieved her childhood dream of Olympic gold and a sub 34 second (33.952 seconds) time for the 500 metres, Meares has this year opted to concentrate on improving her sprint and keirin racing skills. She claimed bronze in the sprint in Athens but the keirin isn't an Olympic event. "I don't know if it's harder to stay at the top or get to the top," said Meares who was a marked rider in the recent World Cup Series. "It's a different feeling now as I'm the target instead of the underdog and it means I have to race differently." This is especially true in the sprint where Meares has traditionally liked to race from the front. "No-one wants to let me go from the front anymore," laughed Meares who believes her rivals have unwittingly aided her preparation. "It means I've already had some practice riding from the back and I'm developing that skill as well. I'd like to think that if someone draws Anna Meares in the sprint they shake a little in their shoes because any psychological edge (I can gain) in the sprint is good." Meares and her teammates agree they share a special bond as members of the world's number one ranked team. "We want to keep improving and keep raising the bar so the rest of the world keeps chasing us," she said. "We're all here as individuals but we're part of the team so we all want the team to perform well which in turn will mean the individuals go well." Team captain Shane Kelly, 33, who is representing Australia at international level for the 27th time since his senior debut in 1991, agrees the number one status can inspire the team. "To stay the number one nation is in the back of your minds as a group but it's not something we sit down and talk about," said Kelly. "But when you walk into the track and are seen as the number one nation it's a great feeling." But Kelly acknowledges the top ranking also carries added pressure. "Everyone wants to beat the number one team," said Kelly who after 14 years as a top international cyclist shows no sign of slowing down. "There are a lot of new guys in the Australian team this year which keeps it exciting for me," said Kelly who claimed Olympic bronze in Athens in the keirin. "I get on the track because I love racing." Kelly will contest the keirin on day two of competition having opted for a year's break from kilometre time trial competition, the event in which he has claimed three world titles, two Commonwealth Games titles and Olympic silver and bronze medals. Kiwis 'fizzing' for Track World'sThe New Zealand team for the Track Cycling World Championships arrived in Los Angeles last weekend, most from the team base in Mexico where they were training at high altitude, while others came from New Zealand where Wellington's fog delayed the departure of a couple of members. Michael Flynn, BikeNZ's High Performance Director, said the team is "fizzing" and is confident that the entire squad is capable of producing top individual and team performances during the World Championships and expects a number of top six finishes. Reigning World Champion Greg Henderson is one of the Kiwis to watch as he looks to defend his World Championship title in the Men's 15km Scratch on Saturday night local time. LAF and Team Rubicon fundraiser raffleTeam Rubicon, a Portland, Oregon based cycling team, is conducting a raffle to raise funds for the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) and to assist with travel expenses for Team Rubicon's development squad to compete in races across the United States. Norrene Godfrey, a competitive cyclist, lost her mother to cancer in the fall of 2001. Norrene's mother was inspired by Lance Armstrong to fight cancer, and she was encouraged even more when Lance sent her one of his cycling jerseys autographed with the words "Fight mom, Lance Armstrong". In an effort to return the kindness, Norrene created a cycling team that would race in support of the LAF and send cancer survivors to Austin to meet Lance himself. Team Rubicon's mission is to raise funds for the LAF and help raise awareness of the foundation and its goals while developing young, promising athletes to reach their cycling goals. Team Rubicon's riders are ambassadors for the LAF and wear the LAF logo on their jerseys. To date, Team Rubicon has raised over $40,000 for the LAF, sold 2,200 of the now ubiquitous yellow Livestrong wristbands, and has sent two cancer survivors to Austin to participate in the Ride for the Roses and to personally meet Lance Armstrong. Proceeds from the Rubicon Raffle (details below) will go to support Team Rubicon's development team, providing funds to help promising young athletes compete in events across the US. The grand prize is a deluxe entry to this year's Cycle Oregon, which includes portage and tent set-up. There is also an Orbea carbon fibre Onix frame and fork, worth $US1,600 up for grabs. The drawing will be held Sunday, April 10th at 4:00 p.m. at the Bike Gallery Warehouse Sale, 1635 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR +1 503 (9)7232-2848. Prize List 1 complete Cycle Oregon Deluxe entry ($1,200 value) 1 2005 Orbea carbon fibre Onix frame and fork ($1,600 value) Tickets $10.00 each; 3 for $25.00 To purchase tickets: Contact any Rubicon rider at any OBRA race Stop by the Bike Gallery Warehouse Sale April 6 - April 10th Order tickets via the web at www.trubicon.org Send money order or check, payable to Rubicon Cycling Team, to: Team Rubicon Women wanted for Wachovia teamU.S. squad East Coast Velo is looking for three to four Cat. 1-2 UCI licensed women to compete on its composite team for this year's Wachovia Liberty Classic on June 5. Interested riders should e mail their resumé and any questions to jakobsno1@aol.com for consideration. The team has received an invitation to be included in this year's race.
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