News for May 4, 2002

Edited by John Stevenson and Karen Forman

Big weekend for Simoni as the Giro nears

THE Giro d'Italia is knocking and Saeco-Longoni Sport team leader Gilberto Simoni is taking every opportunity to race and fine-tune himself in the all-important lead-up period to the event.

This weekend sees him in Tuscany, at the starting line of the GP Industria e Artigianato di Larciano (today) and at the Giro di Toscana (on Sunday).

By Monday, Simoni will consider his training complete. And of course, after the Giro, he has his other main goal of the season to focus on - theTour de France.

Other Saeco riders in the GP Industria e Artigianato include Flavio, Leonardo Bertagnolli, Australian Brad Davidson, Spaniard Juan Fuentes, Alessio Galletti, Lithuanian Marius Sabaliauskas and Italian riders Fabio Sacchi and Alessandro Spezialetti (whose place Mirko Celestino will take on Sunday in Giro di Toscana).

No Tour invite could spell end for BigMat

Stephane Heulot believes that the lack of an invitation for BigMat to ride the 2002 Tour de France will have "terrible consequences". In an interview with French website Sporever he describes Thursday's decision by the Societe du Tour de France as "the death of a team."

"I am trying to take [the decision] with a smile and find reasons to bounce back," said Heulot. "The consequences will be terrible and that frightens me more."

"Our sponsor has decided to stop at the end of the season. Today, it is more or less the death of a team. It is a sad day for us and for French cycling."

BigMat has had the affection of the French public because of its support of young French riders, but Heulot refused to criticise the STF's decision.

"I am not arguing with any choice. I notice that the selection of Italian and Spanish teams in the Giro or Vuelta never poses any problem. It always poses some in France.

"It is a pity because the sky of French cycling has cleared little by little and it still does not get the chance to return to what it once was.

"They don't let all the French teams take part in the national tour on the pretext of the 'grandeur' of this race."

Heulot added, however, that the rules seems to change every year and this makes it hard for teams to achieve the level necessary to take part in the Tour.

"Last year, they encouraged the teams to go up a notch economically to join Division 1, and they promised participation in the national tour to teams that did this."

"This is what BigMat tried to do. The budget was increased and we succeeded in recruiting riders with the necessary points. Today we are in the first division and the rules have changed again.

"Things have returned to the previous situation where there are 16 qualified teams and five wild-cards.

"The rules must be observed, but they should not be changed every year."

Heulot added that as team leader he would try to help the team's younger members get over the disappointment of missing the Tour.

"I will try to give them the will to fight. The important thing now is to determine what their sporting future will be if the BigMat team disappears. It's not easy to go through these things when you are young."

"But they still have long careers and I believe what doesn't kill you makes you strong."

Pantani defends his "dignity"

Marco Pantani isn't taking his threatened suspension lying down. In fact, in typical proud Italian spirit, he has come out fighting, vowing to defend his "dignity" in the face of a possible ban that could keep him out of the sport for four years.

"I am determined. I am no longer going to let my dignity get stamped on," Pantani told his fans - with attitude - on his internet site.

"A dignity, which first of all belongs to a man and only afterwards to the sportsman."

Hopefully along with "dignity" comes "patience" and a bit of the endurance he used to be so good at exhibiting on the road.

The 1998 Giro d'Italia and Tour de France winner was advised on Thursday that the anti-doping investigating arm of Italy's Olympic Committee (CONI) had recommended a four-years suspension for allegedly using insulin.

Whether it happens or not will depend on a decision from the Italian cycling federation, Federciclismo. And knowing the way things happen in Italy, that could take a while.

Pantani, certainly, was hoping it takes a lot of time . . . at least until after the big event he has his eye on this season: the Giro. He stated on Thursday that he was still training hard for next weekend's tour and not for the first (or second) time, denied any knowledge of the syringe. And as luck would have it, his prayers were answered.

Under Italian anti-doping laws, Pantani could face criminal charges and as a consequence could be suspended by the Italian Cycling Federation. But first, the anti-doping commission has to prove that Pantani used the syringe and has spent the past week currently carrying out more investigations.

"The case involving Pantani is much more complicated than the other riders already deferred for suspension," the head of the IOC investigative arm, Giacomo Aiello, said after the hearing earlier this week.

Pantani has always denied that the suspect syringe found by police in his hotel room was his, saying it was impossible to know which room he stayed in because the riders in his Mercatone Uno team always changed rooms to protect Pantani from unwanted visitors.

But even he was a bit confused by it all, it seemed, because after the hearing, the rider slightly changed his story. "I don't even want to think I can be suspended," he said. "I'm sure, absolutely sure, that the things which were found in my room weren't mine. My conscience is clear.

It's not the first time Pantani's name has been linked with doping investigations. He might be a popular rider, particularly in his home country of Italy, but his defensiveness now suggests the great Tour and Giro winner is concerned for his repuation.

He has, after all, been involved in several doping scandals in the past three years.

He won both Giro and Tour in 1998, but the following year was disqualified while leading the Giro after a blood test showed he had an illegally high haematocrit level.

And things have gone downhill from there. Although he took two stages of the 2000 Tour de France, Pantani has failed to repeat his success of previous years. He certainly wasn't true to his historic form in last week's Giro del Trentino, the event run specifically to help Italian riders get ready for the Giro. Did he have something on his mind, perhaps? Something like politics?

In a comment which hints at "reformed smoker", he has even suggested that the Italian Prime Minister get involved.

"I hope that (Italian prime minister Silvio) Berlusconi will have a look at what is happening in the world of sport," he said. "Cycling is the only sport to have real anti-doping tests. This should be enough to control us. I've lost sponsors as a consequence of what has happened but this is not about money.

"I'm not going to stop racing. I still want to win and I'm getting ready for the Giro. My team is with me and I'm going to try to win the Giro."

And in a final burst of Italian passion: "Logic and love of the sport force me not to give up, while my sense of duty pushes me to continue to train at the highest level towards the goal of the season: the Giro D'Italia," he said.

Pity about the Tour de France. Pantani learnt this week that he missed out for a second consecutive year because his team, Mercatone Uno, was not given a wild card for the event.

Teams arrive in Australia for World Cup track

There's a week to go but already Sydney's Olympic Dunc Gray veledrome is seeing some action in the lead-up to the Sydney round of the 2002 UCI World Cup, to be held from May 10-12.

Six of the eight members of the Great Britain flew in early to train on the track before the event, including 2000 Olympic and world championship silver medallist, Chris Hoy and Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games sprinter Alwyn McMath.

Meanwhile, the 15-strong Greek contingent has been in Sydney since April 24, to take advantage of the world class facilities at the track in suburban Bankstown.

Sixteen countries will contest the all-important round, namely Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa, and the USA.

The New Zealand team, one of the favourites for the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester later in the year, and the South African team of four riders, are both expected to arrive in Sydney on Monday.

Bronze medallist in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, Canadian sprinter, Lori-Ann Muenzer, is due to arrive during the weekend and five of the best American track cyclists will depart for Australia on Sunday, aiming to arrive in time to get in two days of training.

Tanya Lindenmuth of Trexlertown, Pa, will represent the United States for the seventh time at a world cup.

Lindenmuth, a 2000 Olympian and three-time national champion, recently was fourth in the women's match sprint at April's Track World Cup in Monterrey, Mexico.

Californian rider Erin Mirabella is also a 2000 Olympian and two-time national champion, as well as a past US National Team member. She got off to a solid start this season with impressive results from the April's Track World Cup.

In Mexico, she captured a gold medal in the women's 10km scratch race, silver in the 3km individual pursuit and a fourth-place finish in the points race.

Tammy Thomas will represent the US delegation in the women's sprint event and keirin. Thomas, a 2001 world championship silver medallist, kicked her international season off in Mexico as well.

The Colorado Springs US Olympic Resident Athlete brought home a bronze medal in the women's match sprint from the first World Cup.

Rounding out the American women's squad is Sarah Hammer from Redondo Beach, California. The 18-year old, a junior national road cycling champion, was a silver medalist in the 2km individual pursuit at the 2001 Junior World Track Cycling Championships.

Jame Carney of Colorado will contest the points race, scratch race and keirin. Carney, a two-time Olympian and 18-time national champion, won the World Cup points race overall title in 2001. The 33 year-old started the 2002 World Cup season favorably with a bronze medal in the 15k scratch race in Mexico last month.

The World Cup event will provide Commonwealth Games nations a vital testing arena to gauge their form against the riders they will meet in Manchester.

Australia claimed eleven medals at the last Games in the nine track cycling events contested - including six gold. It also claimed three of the four gold medals on offer in the road cycling. The British, New Zealand, Canadian and South African teams are all hoping to call a halt to the Australian dominance when they meet in Manchester.

However the French are expected to prove a major force in next weekend's World Cup. Their team, arriving in Sydney on May 6, includes Olympic team sprint gold medallist and four-time kilometre time trial world champion and record holder, Arnaud Tournant, is expected to be a major force.

Belgian, Matthew Gilmore, who along with Etienne De Wild claimed the Olympic silver medal in the Madison behind Australians Scott McGrory and Brett Aitken, will fly into Sydney with team mate Iljo Keisse on Tuesday.

Hincapie to lead Posties in Housatonic Classic

The man dubbed America's finest classics rider, George Hincapie, will lead an all-American US Postal contingent in the 2002 Housatonic Classic.

Hincapie, a member of the 2000 US Olympic road race team, has by far the most impressive resume of the field.

Currently in seventh place in the UCI World Cup standings, he has had a couple of successful years including a win in the 2001 Ghent Wevelgem, fourth place in 2002 Tour of Flanders, two fourth and two sixth place finishes in Paris-Roubaix and a win in the inaugural San Francisco Grand Prix.

As well, he finished on all three of Lance Armstrong's winning Tour de France teams.

The Postal squad will include three other members of the 2000 US Olympic team, Dylan Casey, Antonio Cruz and Christian Vandevelde as well as Kenny Labbe and Robbie Ventura.

UK News

From the BCF

Welsh championships wide open

This year's Welsh Senior Road Race Championships take place once again in the mid-Wales spa town of Llandrindod Wells on Sunday May 26. With the Welsh Senior Squad attending the RAS in Ireland the event promises to be one of the most open for years. To add to the excitement the race distance has been reduced by one lap from 105 to 84 miles, still giving maximum points for the first twenty riders. Interest has also been added to the event for Masters, Ladies and Juniors with the incorporation of the WCU Zipvit Final for 3rds and 4ths. Race distance will be 63 miles.

Exeter MTB day

Exeter MTB Club are running a mountain bike cross-country day at Ashcombe Activity Centre, on Saturday 11 May 2002. If you are looking for an introduction to cross-country riding, this is for you. An undulating mini course incorporating grass riding, a stream crossing and technical mini woodland, finishing with a small jump which can be ridden by younger or less experienced participants. Starting at 10.00am with coaching and riding the course, there is a break for lunch at 12.00pm-1.00pm (bring a packed lunch). From 1.00pm-3.00pm a series of fun races to put into practice what you have learnt. Helmets and gloves are compulsory. Age 7 years and over, ladies of any age especially welcome to try out a fun way to keep fit and trim. A Certificate of achievement is awarded on completion. Head coach Sallie Burnham, a British Cycling level 2 and Cycling Academy coach will be on hand. Cost id £8, with a deposit of £5 required to secure a place, as they have to limit numbers for safety. To reserve a place contact Sallie Burnham on 01392 276 122.

OLN follows Klasna and Streb at Sea Otter

The US Outdoor Life Network cable sports channel will screen its coverage of March's Sea Otter Classic on May 9. Rather than follow the racing from start to finish, this year's show will look at it through the eyes of road racer Trent Klasna (Saturn) and mountain bike downhiller Marla Streb (Luna Chix), the defending champions in the 2002 event.

The show coincides with the first round of the Chevy Trucks NORBA national series at Big Bear, California, which starts the same day.