First Edition Cycling News for March 28, 2005Edited by Hedwig Kröner Mactier crowned World ChampionAustralian medal total hits seven
Victorian Katie Mactier finally broke the bridesmaid voodoo to claim the 3 km individual pursuit crown at the World Championships in Los Angeles. Her win along with a silver and two bronze medals on day three puts Australia on top of the medal tally with a total of seven. It also moved the Cyclones up to third on the medal table behind Britain and the Netherlands. Mactier, who was the silver medallist at the 2003 and 2004 World Championships and again at last year's Olympic Games in Athens, had to defeat World Championship room mate, Kate Bates, 22, in an all-Australian final. She blasted out of the gate for her trademark fast start and was more than two seconds faster at the one kilometre mark. She maintained her pace with Bates unable to make headway on the deficit. Mactier posted 3'38"720 for gold with Bates claiming silver in 3'42"848. The bronze medal went to Switzerland's Karin Thurig. "After three silver medals my first conscious thought at the end was - 'at last!'," said Mactier. "All day it felt like I was treading on broken glass because it was such a long wait between this morning's qualifying and the final. I had the fastest time in qualifying but I never take it for granted and always race every race like I'm coming from behind. It's just the way I am." After the medal ceremony, Mactier rode a lap of honour side by side with Bates with each rider holding a corner of the same Australian flag. "We were joking before the race about the whole thing with me telling her I'd sabotage her knicks by putting hot cream in he chamois," Mactier laughed. "But we're good mates. We've been training together for the last month - blood, sweat and tears - and that brings you very close. "I couldn't have had a better scenario," she explained. "I'm sure Kate would have preferred it the other way around but hey - she's young and has a lot of talent. She came third in the points race last night, tomorrow she's riding the scratch race and I've got my money on her for a win. I think she can take a medal of each colour home and that would be pretty special," she continued. In the meantime, Bates is still looking to complete her 2005 World Championships medal set. "You always tell yourself you can win or you're wasting your time," she said. "But realistically Katie was the stronger rider here tonight and all credit to her. Tomorrow it's going to be me in the scratch race."
In the women's sprint, sisters Anna and Kerrie Meares faced off for the bronze medal, and the training partners used every trick in their collective arsenals to try and outfox each other. Anna, the Athens Olympic sprint bronze medallist, versus Kerrie, the Commonwealth Games champion on the comeback from a major back injury, was a battle worth seeing. Sprint coach Martin Barras had a few words with each and then left them to it. In the first of the best of three rides for bronze Anna, 21, drew the lead position and spent most of the first two laps slowing the pace to a dead stop in a bid to force Kerrie, 22, to the front. But her wily sister wouldn't take the bait and Anna eventually opted to try and sprint away. Kerrie gave her a few metres then started to reel her in, catching her on the line to claim the first heat. "It wasn't so much a scare as a wake up that I shouldn't have done that," said Anna of her first heat defeat, as Kerrie helpfully suggested 'Oops' might explain it. "I made sure I didn't do it twice," she said, crossing the line first in the next two heats to secure bronze. "It was really hard because we knew each other so well and neither of us wanted the front," said Kerrie, proudly watching her younger sister receive her bronze medal. "We train together practically every day and know each other's strengths and weaknesses so it's tough to try and figure out something like a plan." Both riders will race in the keirin tomorrow with Anna tipping Kerrie as a big chance. "This is the first time she's got through to a sprint final in three years and at the stage she is with her recovery I think it will suit her down to the ground," she said. "She's going to be very tough competitor." Australia scored another bronze medal in day three racing through the teams pursuit combination of 2004 World Champions Stephen Wooldridge, 27 and Ashley Hutchinson, 25 who were joined by Tasmanian youngsters Mark Jamieson, 20, and Matthew Goss, 18. In their first outing as a team at World Championship level, the quartet dealt with the pressure of Australia being the Olympic Champions, world record holders and World Champions since 2002 and simply delivered their best in what is a rebuilding year for the program. "With Ash (Hutchinson) and me as World Champions in the team and now with these two young guys Australia has some great talent coming through so it (the winning tradition) will continue," said Wooldridge. "It certainly takes a lot to get into this team because Australia has an incredible amount of depth," said Hutchinson, who despite being a member of the 2004 World Championship gold medal team did not get a start in Athens. "It just shows you how motivated we are because with two new guys in the team we come away with a medal the first year after Athens." More Track World's coverageDay 3 wrap &
photos Acqua & Sapone suspends KobzarenkoThe Italian Professional Continental team has suspended one of its riders, Valery Kobzarenko. In the ongoing investigation of medical products that were found when Belgian police searched the team's hotel in Erpe-Mere last Thursday, the team's manager Palmiro Masciarelli declared that a questionable syringe was found near the Ukranian rider. The analysis of the confiscated products has not been completed yet, although one of the drugs is reported to be performance enhancing. Belgian authorities also took urine samples of the riders whose rooms were searched. It may take several weeks before the result of the testing will be made public. Meanwhile, Acqua & Sapone is riding the Belgian races as planned. UCI commissaire Patrick De Munter said that he has no right to sideline the Italian team. "We haven't heard anything from the prosecutor," he explained. "It is only logical the federation does not intervene." The team's management reacted calmly to the allegations. "All my information comes from the papers and TV," said directeur sportif Flavio Miozzo. "Nothing is official yet. But I'm confident that everything will be alright." Solid return for Armstrong and HincapieDiscovery Channel teammates Lance Armstrong and George Hincapie have made a strong return to racing, after both suffered illness in recent weeks. The pair were part of the Discovery team in today's Brabantse Pijl, which was won by World Champion Oscar Freire. Hincapie missed the final three man break with Freire, Axel Merckx and Marc Lotz, but did manage to finish 6th in the small group sprint behind them. Armstrong played more of a support role, riding near the front of the peloton to ensure that the break with Hincapie in it would stay away, eventually finishing 43rd, but it was clear he was in better form than in Paris-Nice a few weeks ago. An upbeat Armstrong spoke to Canvas TV before the start of the race, and was asked by reporter Renate Schotte what he'd been up to since Paris-Nice. "Nothing, I've just been partying, drinking beer, eating pizza, reading all the onzin [nonsense] in the paper," joked Armstrong, before adding: "No. I've been training in the Canary Islands and trained hard and tried to focus on some longer efforts, longer climbs." Armstrong said that today, "I'll try to ride in the front and stay out of trouble. The circuits are hard, so we'll see what happens." He also paid tribute to the racing in Belgium and said that he was looking forward to next week's Tour of Flanders. "I think this is the country where cycling truly is the king, especially now because you have a great young generation of riders here in Belgium. You see the races, you see a lot of people on the course. C'mon [Tour of] Flanders is the king. If you compare it to Paris-Roubaix, it's a much more beautiful race. I'm not saying Roubaix is bad, but Flanders is a true classic." Armstrong finished by saying that he would be playing a supporting role for his teammates in the Ronde. "With George and Stijn we have a strong team. It's fun for me to try to help them." Spartacus enters the ArenaBy Tim Maloney, European Editor
His Fassa Bortolo teammates have nicknamed Fabian Cancellera "Spartaco" after the Roman gladiator, perhaps because the 24 year-old from Berne, Switzerland somewhat resembles actor Kirk Douglas, who starred in the 1960 film. Or perhaps because Cancellera is becoming a two-wheeled warrior to be reckoned with. Also known as Cance, the big (81kg, 186 cm) had a solid 4th place in last year's Paris-Roubaix and then had the ride of his life last July in Liège to win the first Maillot Jaune with a victory at the Tour De France prologue. So far in 2005, Cancellera has two wins: ; a superb victory at Paris-Nice, where he took the race leadership for a day, and winning the the final time trial stage of the Setmana Catalana on Friday. For his 21st pro win, Cance blasted the 15.9 km Setmana TT course in 19'29 at the average speed of 48.96 km/h. After his win, the burly Bernese is happy with his progress with the Belgian classics starting next week. "This (TT) win has given me more confidence than ever with the northern classics starting," he said. "On Monday, I'm heading to Belgium for the Three Days of de Panne. In April, I have three major objectives: Tour of Flanders (April 3), Gent-Wevelgem (April 6) and Paris-Roubaix (April 10). And I'm racing to win in all three races, because you never know what can happen at Paris-Roubaix." Although Cancellera was last man in the sprint last year on the Roubaix Velodrome, the Swiss rider is hoping to be there again this year. "Since I was a junior rider, I've always raced on the track and cyclocross. I've done a lot of cross and when I was 16, I rode a (track) kilometer in 1'07". Now with these big races in in Belgium, I'm more motivated than ever." With his power, talent and time trialing skills, if Cancellera makes the right move in Belgium, his 22nd career win may be his biggest ever. Broken wrist for ZaniniIn the 43rd E3 Prijs Vlaanderen, spectacularly won by Tom Boonen (Quick.Step), Boonen's teammate Stefano Zanini crashed after 80 km of the race. According to a hospital examination, the Italian rider has broken his wrist, which means the end of his pre-season 2005. In the next Belgian race, the Three days of De Panne, Servais Knaven will replace him in the Quick.Step lineup. Boonen "15 percent better than in 2004"Patrick Lefévère, Quick.Step team manager, has been giving lots of kudos to Tom Boonen for his one-of-a-kind victory in Saturday's E3 Prijs Vlaanderen. "That was something truly great," he said to the Belgian press after the win. "Even if Tom hadn't won. To break away like that with Klier, even though they were racing hard behind... I was standing 500 m after the Taaienberg, and they were all at their limit, even Peter Van Petegem. That was a very successful dress rehearsal. I think that Tom has added 15 percent to his capabilities since last year," he concluded. Tour De Nez benefits charitiesIn the spirit of community and giving back, the 13th Annual Tour de Nez has announced plans to collaborate with the Bicycle Messenger Emergency Fund, Project Go and the Northern Nevada Food Bank. Proceeds from various races and events during the Tour de Nez, taking place June 16-18 in Reno, Nevada, USA, will be donated to each organization. A portion of the entry fees from the Bike Messenger Race will go to benefit the Bicycle Messenger Emergency Fund, a fund that assists bike messengers injured on the job with medical bills and expenses. All of the tips made from the sale of mint juleps (the signature drink of the Tour de Nez) and beer will be donated to the Northern Nevada Food Bank, an organization which provides nutritional meals and food to residents in Northern Nevada. Project Go, a non-profit providing affordable adventure programming for the disadvantaged and underserved youth population of Northern Nevada and Northern California, will receive a portion of the entry fees from the Century Ride. For more information contact 775-287-3599 or visit www.tourdenez.com
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