First Edition Cycling News for May 26, 2005

Edited by Jeff Jones & Anthony Tan

Stage 16 wrapup: The one that got away

Christophe Le Mevel (Credit Agricole)
Photo ©: Sirotti

Following the second rest day, the Giro d'Italia entered its final phase with a 210 km stage between Lissone and Varazze. Run in warm, sunny conditions, the stage was very aggressive from the start, with groups constantly trying to get clear to establish a break. But for the first 90 km, Fassa Bortolo and Credit Agricole weren't particularly keen to let anything go without one of their riders in it. Finally a group of 18 escaped before the 100 km mark and was not seen again.

On the climb of Bric Berton with around 55 km to go, the lead group split, with Alessandro Vanotti (Domina Vacanze), Christophe Brandt (Davitamon-Lotto), Christophe Le Mevel (Credit Agricole), Addy Engels (Quick.Step), Dmitry Fofonov (Cofidis) and Frank Schleck (CSC) getting away from the rest. Vanotti tried to escape alone, as did Addy Engels, but neither could stay away from the remainder of the break. The attacks started again at 2 km to go and after Brandt tried, Le Mevel made a nice counter-attack and escaped for his first professional victory, crossing the line with 9 seconds to spare on the Belgian.

The peloton shut down after the break escaped and rolled into Varazze more than 22 minutes behind the leaders, with leader Paolo Savoldelli well protected by his Discovery Channel team. He will start tomorrow's semi-mountain stage from Varazze to Limone Piemonte with a 25 second gap over Danilo Di Luca, who will be looking for a time bonus in the uphill finish.

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Brandt a sore loser?

Christophe Brandt (Davitamon-Lotto)
Photo ©: Sirotti

When Davitamon-Lotto's Christophe Brandt came in nine seconds behind stage winner Christophe Le Mevel (Credit Agricole) in yesterday's stage of the Giro, the Belgian wasn't all at content with second, banging his fist on the bars in frustration as he crossed the line.

"I'm really disappointed, because I felt at ease, I had good legs." said a clearly annoyed Brandt to Sporza after the stage. "I made a lot of efforts today. It's a real pity. I had the power to attack. First Allan [Peiper, directeur-sportif] told me I had to wait - but [Addy] Engels jumped and we had to chase, then it was too late to attack myself. I was the first to try in the last kilometres, because I wanted to see how they reacted - Vanotti did. Nobody reacted when Le Mevel went though; they let him go. I was hoping that the others would go after him, too.

"Everybody was just thinking about themselves... it surely wasn't the strongest who won today. I'm very sorry, because I really wanted to take the stage win today. Herman [Frison, directeur-sportif] told me this morning that this was a stage I could win. So I tried to stay at the front at all times. We succeeded after a few attempts to get away.

"Ah well, tomorrow is another good day to be in a break. So, I'll see if I have the same legs as today."

Schleck disappointed, Basso improving

Frank Schleck (CSC)
Photo ©: Sirotti

Team CSC's Frank Schleck was one of the six riders in the final break, but was not able to finish it off with a victory and had to be content with fifth on the stage. "I felt I was the strongest in the break, and I guess the others thought the same thing," said Schleck on the team's website, team-csc.com. "I was responsible for splitting the group on the climb, but at the same time I also ended up closing the gaps after attacks. When Le Mevel escaped, I hesitated for a moment, when the others were expecting me to close this gap also, and then it was already too late.

"Of course I'm disappointed about not winning, 'cause it's not often you're presented with an opportunity like this. But I tried and will do so again if I get the chance. Even though we're well into the third and last week, I feel totally ready for the tough stages ahead."

Team leader Ivan Basso is feeling better after his stomach problems and is still planning on trying for a good result in the mountains. "Today I felt better, and my stomach problems are almost gone," said Basso. "I managed to get a good rest on our day off yesterday, so now the question is, if I have enough strength left in my legs. I believe, I have the opportunity to make a result in the mountains, and if I don't succeed tomorrow, I still have another chance on Saturday."

Post-stage comments

By John Trevorrow in Varazze

Antonio Cruz (Discovery Channel, 22nd at 22'16)

Antonio Cruz
Photo ©: Sirotti

Was it a hard day on the front today? "Oh yeah. All day on the front on a hot day."

Were you surprised that the Fassa train didn't get organised and pull everyone back? "It was really weird, their tactics. They'd bring back the break and another one would go. but they didn't seem to have the will to control it. If they had, then it would have been easier for everybody."

Henk Vogels (Davitamon-Lotto, 50th at 22'16)

"I thought it was going to be a good day for us today. I was in a heap of moves early on, but finally we cracked Fassa for the first time in how many years. But one of our guys got second and we keep on getting results. The team's been awesome. Unfortunately I'm getting a little bit worse as the tour's going on. I've just gotta get through tomorrow's mountain day. The last 100km today, even though it was going easy, I felt really crook."

Russell Van Hout (Colombia-Selle Italia, 111th at 22'16)

Van Hout was fired up for today's stage, which passed through his former home town of Novi Ligure. He made the first serious break of 11, but that was brought back after 50 km. "I felt great and there were three Aussies in there too," he said. "We all thought it was going to go away. We didn't have a Credit rider there and they were keen to pull it back.

"My legs are feeling really good but I'm starting to get a little bit of something in the chest that seems to be going around. Could be a bit of the bronchitis I had earlier in the Giro. But it was a beautiful day, and it was a magnificent view rolling in. I'm happy."

Van Hout's day didn't go completely smoothly though. "I had to change shoes in the race," he said. "I stopped for a leak, stepped on the gutter and my cleat broke in half. So fortunately, I had some spare shoes in the spare car. I had to swap, but the shoes were a bit different and my feet are really sore."

Matt Wilson (Francaise des Jeux, 121st at 22'16)

Matt Wilson was also in the early break with Van Hout. "I finally got away and it seemed like the perfect break, plenty of teams there, everyone working. But Credit and Fassa closed us down. I went with another couple of moves after that, but it was the one move I didn't go with that went. I'm really disappointed because I've got really, really good legs. I hope I get another chance. I don't know when."

Trent Wilson (Colombia-Selle Italia, 133rd at 22'16)

"I'm much better today mate. It was another recovery day for me. The legs couldn't have been much worse than they were, but Milan's getting closer. I'll be a lot happier after the mountains."

Liberty loses Gil

Liberty Seguros-Würth lost its third rider in the Giro, Koldo Gil, who had to abandon at kilometre 80 in Stage 16 because of tendonitis in his right knee. He has been suffering from it since he won the stage into Pistoia and took the mountains jersey. Despite being treated with ice packs and ultrasound, his knee did not recover. Gil will also not race next week's Bicicleta Vasca.

Scare for Gerolsteiner

During the second Giro rest day on Tuesday, Team Gerolsteiner had a small scare while out on its training ride. An Italian tourist joined the team during the ride, but was hit by a small pickup truck, bringing both he and Sven Krauss down. Fortunately, neither of the riders was seriously hurt, and Krauss was able to finish the 16th stage today. "The guys were clearly scared," said team DS Christian Henn. "But it ended OK."

Klöden solid in Bayern-Rundfahrt opener

The T-Mobile team enjoyed a solid start to the five-day Bayern-Rundfahrt, which began yesterday in Kempten, Germany, and signaled a return to racing for a number of the team's riders.

On the climb of the Jungholz, a 30-man lead group formed that contained five T-Mobile riders including Andreas Klöden, and reached a maximum eight-minutes lead before the break was brought back by the sprinters' teams, with the stage won by Jan Svorada (eD'system - ZVVZ).

"The team was very active in today's stage, just as we set out to be," said T-Mobile directeur sportif Frans van Looy on the team's website, t-mobile-team.com. "Steffen Wesemann and Andreas Klöden rode very actively in a 30-man break. Unfortunately, the break was too big to work and they were reeled in."

Said Klöden: "I am using this race for training under race conditions. And the opener went well: I was able to stay with the pace in the mountains. My form is coming along."

Steffen Wesemann is another of the team's riders who is using the race to get back into the swing of things, who naturally said after the stage: ""After four weeks out of competition, a stage like that takes its toll. I'll take things day by day and then suss out if there is a high GC place in it for me."

Bettini auction for cancer research

Olympic Champion Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) is to auction a painting by Giò Di Batte of his Athens win for charity. Bettini, who is currently leading the points and the Intergiro competitions in the Giro d'Italia, is holding the auction in conjunction with La Gazzetta dello Sport and the Istituto Europeo di Oncologia di Milano (European Institute of Oncology, Milan), which will benefit from the fundraiser.

"The association with the European Institute of Oncology started last winter when I was contacted by them to auction one of my bikes for charity," said Bettini. "I was really impressed with how enthusiastic and trained the staff of the Institute were - we ended up raising a substantial amount of money for their research. Since then we have created a very strong and close connection working together to raise money for their noble research.

When the painter Giò Di Batte gave me his painting featuring myself I decided that this would be an ideal opportunity to raise more money for the Institute’s cancer research. I believe we professional athletes have an important rôle in society with regard to public opinion - that of making people aware of some of the troubles in today’s World. I believe this is our greatest victory ever."

To take part in the auction, go to www.ebay.it and type in the words "quadro Bettini" into the search engine. Alternatively you can click on this link and you will be taken directly to the page.

Dierckxsens to the end of the year

Luckless Belgian cyclist Ludo Dierckxsens will ride out the season, his Landbouwkrediert-Colnago team reported. Dierckxsens was to end his career after the Belgian championships in June, but his early season has been so injury plagued that he hasn't been able to get going. He intends on returning to competition in the Tour of Luxembourg in early June.

Young Polish rider dies

22 year-old Polish sprinter Adam Krajewski has died after being hit head on by a truck on Tuesday in Prelà, Italy. Krajewski was out on a training ride when he lost control of his bike and slid along the road, colliding with a truck that was coming the other way. The was taken to the Santa Corona hospital in Pietra Ligure, but died of severe cranial and chest trauma.

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