News for December 29, 2002

Edited by Jeff Jones

Cyclingnews awards: Best photo, most improved rider, best races

The latest results from the Cyclingnews reader poll are now online, featuring your choices for Best Photo, Most Improved Rider, Best Stage Race and Best One Day Race. In addition to the voting tally, we have also published a selection of the reasons given for your choices.

Diegem Superprestige preview

The fifth of eight rounds of the Superprestige cyclo-cross series will take place on Sunday, December 29 in Diegem, Belgium. All the top riders in the sport will be there, although there is still a question about Erwin Vervecken, who is suffering from a virus. Superprestige leader Sven Nijs will be hoping to improve upon his 17 point lead over Bart Wellens, with both riders in good form at the moment. They will have to fend off the challenges from Richard Groenendaal, winner of two 'cross races this week, and Mario De Clercq, who won his hometown event on Christmas Day. In addition, Tom Vannoppen, Peter Van Santvliet, Sven Vanthourenhout, Ben Berden, and Gerben de Knegt will do battle in Diegem, along with a smattering of international pro's.

Superprestige winners 2002/2003

Ruddervoorde: Sven Nijs
Sint-Michielsgestel: Sven Nijs
Gavere: Bart Wellens
Gieten: Sven Nijs

Program

12:00 Juniors
13:15 Espoirs/U23
15:00 Elite

Belgian selection for next World Cup

The six riders who will make up the Belgian team for the next Cyclo-cross World Cup in France on January 5 have been selected by national coach Rudy De Bie. Erwin Vervecken has not made the team due to a virus, and his place will be taken by Tom Vannoppen. The full team is: Bart Wellens, Mario De Clercq, Sven Nijs, Ben Berden, Tom Vannoppen and Sven Vanthourenhout.

Museeuw on VDB

Johan Museeuw is both critical and supportive of his wayward teammate Frank Vandenbroucke, who continues to make headlines for the wrong reasons. After VDB's latest drunk driving episode, Museeuw told Het Laatste Nieuws that "With each incident, he loses more of the credibility that he still has...He looks around himself and sees that the circle which supports him is always getting smaller."

However, Museeuw also said that he will stand by him, as "I have never seen a rider with his talent before."

9 million euro deal for De Baeremaeker

Former Ipso-Euroclean manager Paul De Baremaeker has reportedly reached a 9 million euro/3 year deal with a non-Belgian sponsor. The team would start as a Division III squad, with up and coming riders from Belgium and the Netherlands. In the second year it would move up to Division II, with a substantial budget increase and big plans to sign top riders.

Quaranta to Saeco

Ivan Quaranta will be riding in the red colours of Saeco next year, having finalised the details of his contract with team manager Claudio Corti. In Saeco, Quaranta (28) is hoping to find a team that will help him win bunch sprints, as Quaranta is a specialist in this area.

This season, Quaranta won four races, including stages in the Tour of Qatar, Postgirot Open, Regio Tour and the Dwars Door Gendringen. However, for a rider with six Giro d'Italia stages to his credit, it wasn't wholly satisfying. Plagued by injuries and team problems, Quaranta never really got going.

He is full of optimism for 2003, and hopes to ride in the Giro and the Tour, as well is the early season classics.

Herrero and Otero to Labarca-2 Café Baqué

Iván Herrero and Gustavo Otero have signed contracts with the Spanish Labarca-2 Café Baqué team for 2003. Herrero will make the step from Relax Fuenlabrada, while Otero comes from Kelme-Costa Blanca, where he has ridden since 2001.

Van Zyl to Deschacht

South African track rider Jean-Pierre Van Zyl has signed a contract with top Belgian amateur team Deschacht. Van Zyl is a regular competitor on the six day circuit, and is known for being a quick sprinter.

Comeback for Theunisse?

Dutch rider Gert-Jan Theunisse (39) is planning a comeback, according to Het Nieuwsblad. The winner of the KOM jersey in the 1989 Tour de France wants to ride the Dutch road championships next year, but his main aim is to improve his condition for mountain bike endurance events.

Vuelta al Tachira postponed

The current crisis in Venezuela has led to the postponement of the Vuelta al Tachira, the country's biggest stage race, which was due to take place between January 10-19, 2003. One of the main reasons is that the airlines couldn't guarantee flights due to the oil strikes, and this will obviously have an impact on the event. The organisers hope to run the Vuelta at a later date in 2003.

Kelli Turcotte needs support

By Sammarye Lewis, lancearmstrongfanclub.com

Readers may remember Kelli Turcotte, the 29 year old UCI Technical Delegate for Off-Road events, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer nearly two years ago. The folks at Gale Force Sports organised a fund-raising raffle at the 2002 Sea Otter Cycling Classic. The cycling industry responded with warm hearts and generous donations for the raffle and for an e-bay auction to raise funds for her medical expenses.

One prized item was a USPS team jersey, signed and donated by Lance Armstrong. This jersey had a unique journey to its final destination. Jim Crompton, a race official and friend of Kelli, won the coveted jersey at the Sea Otter Raffle. Jim promptly donated it back to be auctioned on e-bay. The winning bidder on e-bay reneged on his bid, and the jersey sat, unclaimed, for several months on a desk. Then Kelli's Oncologist offered to exchange $10,000 of Kelli's medical bills for the Lance Armstrong jersey. The jersey is now framed and hanging in the Oncology Department of the Minnesota hospital where Kelli receives care and treatment.

Kelli is still fighting the cancer, which has metastasised - she had tumours removed from her spine in late summer, and now has a tumour on her brain stem. Recently, she has also experienced a personal crisis, which has been a cruel blow. Kelli is, understandably, pretty down right now.

In the midst of all this, Kelli has been volunteering at the hospital. She says, "I teach a class for cancer patients and their caregivers. The class is designed to help empower people to find their courage within, to nurture their own emotional support systems, to first survive, then heal, and finally grow for the rest of their lives. I took the class a year ago and it really helped me. Teaching it now is a great opportunity for me to help other people".

A strong source of support for Kelli comes from e-mail contacts. She treasures them and reads them over and over again. Please send words of encouragement to Kelli at hellotokelli@yahoo.com.

(All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2002)