First Edition Cycling News for May 10, 2005

Edited by John Stevenson

Giro d'Italia Stage 2 wrap-up

Controversy as McEwen takes win & jersey over boxed-in Petacchi

Robbie McEwen (Davitamon-Lotto)
Photo ©: Sirotti

Australian Davitamon-Lotto rider Robbie McEwen took a perfectly-calculated victory in the second stage of the Giro d'Italia, coming round Jaan Kirsipuu in the final 100 metres as Fassa Bortolo's lead-out train struggled unsuccessfully to get their man Alessandro Petacchi into position.

It was an unexpected ending to what should have been a textbook Petacchi victory to close a stage that saw the usual early escape recaptured with 25km to go. But Alessandro Petacchi was not happy with the situation, and accused McEwen and Kirsipuu of collaboration to deny him the win.

"You could see that McEwen and Kirsipuu had agreed to get me off the wheel of my lead out man Marco Velo," Petacchi told the press after the finish. "I wanted to win the sprint but perhaps all my success of the last few years annoys some people and so perhaps the other sprinters have created a coalition against me."

McEwen denied the charge. "There was no conspiracy," he said. "Everybody can say what they want but [Julian] Dean and Kirsipuu were riding their own sprint as far as I know. I saw them move up and they make a good tandem so I gambled and I decided to follow them. Kirsipuu went early and so gave me an armchair ride to the finish."

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Aussie charge continues in Giro

By Jeff Jones and John Trevorrow

After the third day of the 88th Giro d'Italia, the Australian contingent is enjoying more Grand Tour success with two stage wins, two pink jerseys, and the lead in the points classification to boot. Today's second stage finished - as predicted - in a bunch sprint in Santa Maria del Cedro. What was not predicted was Alessandro Petacchi's loss in a stage that seemed tailor made for his usually superb leadout train. Despite Fassa Bortolo setting it up well with two men ahead of Petacchi with 1 km to go, a big push by Credit Agricole's Jaan Kirsipuu derailed the train and kept Petacchi closed in. Davitamon-Lotto's Robbie McEwen benefited from Kirsipuu's acceleration and jumped from behind the Estonian's wheel with 100m to go to take the stage win and the maglia rosa in the process.

"This is up there," said McEwen afterwards. "It's nice to win a big bunch sprint in a Grand Tour when everyone is there and there is not a hill out the road that will drop some sprinters, and no corners were people will say I flicked through a small gap. Today I can say I was the cleverest and the strongest. Tomorrow, who knows, it may be someone else but today was my day."

But McEwen's win came at the expense of Alessandro Petacchi, who felt he had been boxed in by Kirsipuu with 250m to go, and accused McEwen and Kirsipuu of working together. "I'm disappointed not to have won the stage and above all, the maglia rosa," said Petacchi. "In the finale I was aware of the agreement between Kirsipuu and McEwen to try to put me in difficulty, but what annoyed me the most was the way in which the Estonian moved towards the wheels of Ongarato and Velo. If we end up on the ground at that speed, we do ourselves a lot of damage."

McEwen shrugged off Petacchi's allegation of collusion: "Let's put it this way, this is not athletics, we are not running in lanes. There is no conspiracy. There was absolutely, positively, no talk of Kirsipuu taking someone out of the way. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and benefited from their clash. You can't push Jaan Kirsipuu out of the way when you feel like it, he's like a block of cement. Kirsipuu just kept going and I stayed in his slipstream which is pretty big, he's a big solid guy."

Click here to read the full interview with Robbie McEwen

More post-race comments

Baden Cooke (Francaise des Jeux, 5th): "It was pretty dangerous today. I got Petacchi's wheel which is normally the best place to be, but Kirsipuu moved up on the outside and head-butted him. Then Robbie went left and I had to go right and I nearly hit the barrier. Then I got blocked by the Illes Balears rider [Galvez]. But my legs felt really good and I reckon I'm not far off winning one."

Cooke couldn't believe Petacchi's post-stage comments about McEwen and Kirsipuu working together. "You're joking. That's bullshit. He's getting paranoid. After Robbie went to the left and I went to the right, we actually came together against Petacchi and I thought he would have been whinging after the finish that Robbie and I were working against him. But that's bike racing and that's what happens in a rough sprint."

Stuart O'Grady (Cofidis, 7th): "I felt a lot better today. I'm still lacking racing, but I'm coming good. I managed to keep out of the carnage today because it was certainly rough."

O'Grady's response to Petacchi's comments was similar to Baden Cooke's: "What a lot of bullshit. Welcome to our world Petacchi. We go through that every race. With the leadouts going, he's been up there protected; we have this battle every race. This is not soccer, it's road sprinting! There's an unwritten code that you don't jump in on a leadout train but Fassa weren't going fast, enough otherwise Kirsipuu wouldn't have been coming past, sticking his head in there so far out."

Matt White (Cofidis, 119th): "It was a rough start to the Giro. We were stuck up on a mountain for three days in the wind, rain and hail. Today was a typical day in the Giro, cruise early, tempo in the middle, and then a mad dash at the finish.

"I have to finish this Giro, whereas Stuey will stop before the mountains and prepare for the Dauphiné. I will be using this as training for Le Tour."

Nick Gates (Davitamon-Lotto, 180th): "Big day. After 60k I rode on the front until 20 to go and then the boys took over and the boy won. Awesome hey, and the maglia rosa. Must be Aussie week."

Alan Peiper (Davitamon-Lotto DS): What does this mean to the team? "I just had the boss on the line and he was ecstatic," said Peiper. "He sent a text to Robbie just before to say 'Congratulations. We had faith in you.' Everything Robbie asks for, he gets. Marc (manager) works from the standpoint that if the riders take initiative, we stand behind them. Robbie wanted Gates and Vogels here because they're his boys and he got them. Whatever Robbie wants, he gets, but he delivers. Whenever Robbie sprints, he sprints to win. Even if he's not good he goes until he crashes or finishes 25th. But he'll give it everything he's got. Its always like that with Robbie. You can put a team behind him and know he is going to do his best.

Italian journalists are saying Petacchi suggests that there was collusion between Kirsipuu and Robbie. Why would they work together? "You know mate, collusion is not allowed. From the days at the Brunswick track, I know you can get fined for that, so let's not go into that."

Munain under observation

Euskaltel-Euskadi rider Alberto Lopez De Munain is under observation in hospital after a serious crash in the second stage of the Giro d'Italia. Lopez De Munain hit a guard rail some 40km from the stage finish, landing on his head and left side, but subsequent x-rays and CAT scan revealed no fractures to the skull.

However, he is reported to have sustained a broken collarbone and broken ribs, and is being kept under observation overnight in hospital in the town of Cetraro.

Astarloza still out

AG2R rider Mikel Astarloza has extended his break from cycling as the tendonitis in his knee is still causing him pain. Astarloza will continue to undergo laser treatment and work in the pool and hopes to resume training next Wednesday. He was originally scheduled to ride the Rheinland -Pfalz Rundfahrt, but his place will be taken by Laurent Mangel

Landbouwkrediet-Colnago for Rheinland Pfalz

The Landbouwkrediet-Colnago team has announced its line-up for the Rheinland Pfalz Rundfahrt, Germany, May 11 to 15. The team will field Maxime Monfort, Sergey Lagutin, Jurgen Van de Walle, Johan Verstrepen, Nico Sijmens, Thierry De Groote, Sven Renders, and Geert Verheyen.

Davitamon-Lotto for Tour de Picardie

The Davitamon-Lotto team has announced its line-up for the Tour de Picardie, France, May 13-15. The team will field Frédéric Amorison, Wim De Vocht, Jan Kuyckx, Nico Mattan, Bert Roesems, Gert Steegmans, Peter Van Petegem, and Wim Van Sevenant,

AG2R for upcoming races

The AG2R Prevoyance team has announced its line-up for three forthcoming races.

For the Rheinland -Pfalz Rundfahrt (Germany, May 11-15) the team will field Iñigo Chaurreau, Philip Deignan, Simon Gerrans, Christophe Oriol, Nicolas Portal, Erki Putsep, Mark Scanlon, and Laurent Mangel.

At the Tour de Picardie, May 13-15, the team will be represented by Sylvain Calzati, Andy Flickinger, Lloyd Mondory, Jean-Patrick Nazon, Christophe Riblon, Mark Scanlon, Alexandre Usau, and Tomas Vaitkus.

At Sunday May 16's GP de Villers-Cotterets, the team will send into battle Cyril Dessel, Lloyd Mondory, Christophe Riblon, Mark Scanlon, Ludovic Turpin, Alexandre Usau, and Tomas Vaitkus.

UCI pleased with Tour de Romandie

The UCI has expressed its satisfaction with the quality of the field in the recent Tour de Romandie, the eleventh event in the ProTour series. Romandie was one of the races that was expected to benefit from ProTour status and the UCI describes the quality of participants in this year's edition as "exceptional."

Eight out of the top 20 riders on UCI ranking at the end of 2004 took part in Romandie, which saw riders such as Damiano Cunego (world no 1 in 2004), Alessandro Petacchi, Davide Rebellin, Stefano Garzelli, Joseba Beloki, Roberto Heras, Santiago Botero, Erik Dekker, Thomas Voeckler and Laurent Brochard take the start.

Tour of Britain needs stewards

The Tour of Britain, August 29-September 4, is appealing for volunteers to be part of this year's event as marshals and stewards at start and finish areas and at the sprint and king of the mountains primes along the route.

The race needs about 60 volunteers per stage, mostly to take care of road crossing points. Volunteers will need to be available for an hour before the race's ETA until the broom wagon passes. Finish area marshals will be needed until an hour after the race.

Race organizers say they would like to hear from clubs who are able to organize groups of ten volunteers, though we imagine giving the difficulty many races have finding staff that they won't turn down emails from interested individuals.

Volunteers will get an official Tour of Britain volunteer t-shirt,a Tour of Britain high-visibility tabard, refreshments, and a goodie bag including a Tour of Britain programme.

For a full breakdown of the route, from which to identify your most convenient volunteering point, and for further information, contact Rob Jeffrey's at Volunteers@britishcycling.org.uk

Tour of Britain 2005 stages

Preamble - August 29: Glasgow criterium, BC Elite Circuit series 7pm - 8pm
Stage 1 - August 30: Glasgow - castle Douglas
Stage 2 - August 31: Carlisle - Blackpool
Stage 3 - September 1: Leeds (Millennium sq) - Sheffield Stage 4 - September 2: Buxton - Nottingham
Stage 5 - September 3: Circuit race, Birmingham
Stage 6 - September 4: Circuit race, Westminster London

UCI doping news

The following riders have recently been sanctioned for doping offences, the UCI has announced.

David Perez Iniguez, tested positive for triamcinolone acetonide during the race Bira, Spain, June 30-July 4, 2004, sanctioned by Real Federacion Española de Ciclismo, fine of €601.

Alexis Rodriguez Hernandez, tested positive for triamcinolone acetonide during the Troféu Joaquim Agostinho GP Int. de Ciclismo de Torres Vedras, Portugal, July 9, 2004, sanctioned by Real Federacion Española de Ciclismo, fine of €601.

Laura Suzanne Israel, tested positive for heptaminol during the Coupe de France VTT, August 30, 2003, sanctioned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), suspension of 4 months from 1st February 2005 to 31st May 2005, fine of CHF 1'000.-, disqualification of the race.

Kelly Cup headlines BikeJam 2005

As part of National Bike Month, Corrigan Sports Enterprises and Lateral Stress Velo are putting on BikeJam 2005 on Saturday, May 28 in Patterson Park in Baltimore, Md, beginning at 8 a.m.

The main event of the day is the 40-lap Kelly Cup Men's Pro Race, which begins at 2 p.m. Among the professional teams scheduled to appear are returning champion Colavita Olive Oil/Sutter Home, LSV/Kelly, Jelly Belly - Pool Gel, Team TIAA-CREF, Jittery Joe's-Kalahari and NCVC/Edge Technologies.

Last year's individual champion Stephen Alexander will look to defend his title, while the 1999 winner Joshua Frick looks to be the first two-time winner of the event. Juan Jose Haedo, Ben Brooks, Daniel Pate and Alex Candelario are all scheduled to appear and currently rank in top 20 in the NRC Standings.

Prior to the men's race is the women's pro race sponsored by Kelly and Associates Insurance Group. Both the Quark Cycling Team and T-Mobile Professional Cycling Team, currently the top two teams in the NRC standings, as well as the BMW squad, will vie for the race's top prize.

Aside from the two professional races there will be recreational rides around Baltimore, the new Bike Messenger Race and numerous other races.

For more information see www.bikejam.org

FNWTR returns to Dunc Gray

The Friday Night Winter Track Racing series returns to Sydney's Dunc Gray Velodrome on June 24. These short, sharp track racing sessions have been popular for the last two seasons as a way for Sydney's track racers to keep honed during the winter months. Racing on June 24 - and subsequent nights - will start at 7.05pm.

As in previous years, the multi-round format will feature scratch races, handicaps and wheelrace, sprints and endurance events, with each evening's racing being capped by scratch races. To liven up the evening finale, alternate weeks will see these races become the 'NSWCF Time-Blaster Challenge' in which there will be extra prize money for the winner if the winning time breaks the previous record - an incentive for some high-speed racing.

For more information see www.fnwtr.tk.

US congressman wants to make Bike Month official

US congressman Earl Blumenauer, the Democrat representative for Oregon, has introduced a bill to officially recognize May as the US' national Bike Month.

US cyclists' rights organisation The League of American Bicyclists has celebrated National Bike Month in May since 1956. This legislation, which has bipartisan support, would make it official.

"Bicycling is one of the cleanest, healthiest, most efficient, and environmentally friendly modes of transportation that exists," Blumenauer said. "Cycling helps ease congestion on our roads and reduce environmental pollution while allowing Americans of all ages to incorporate exercise into their everyday lives. In an age of high energy prices, overcrowded roads, and a growing obesity epidemic, biking is more important to the well being of our communities than ever before."

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