News for October 10, 2002

Edited by Jeff Jones and Chris Henry

Rasmussen joins Rabobank

Michael Rasmussen will leave CSC-Tiscali to sign a two year contract with Rabobank, reports French daily l'Equipe. Twenty eight year old Rasmussen, who made the switch from professional mountain biking to the road in 2001, "has yet to discover his true potential," according to Rabobank director sportif Theo de Rooij.

"We followed him this year," de Rooij continued, "and he's very strong, particularly in the mountains. We'll work with him in the Spanish stage races and the Wallonne classics, and perhaps also the Tour de France."

Cofidis keeps Bourgain and Dublé

Cofidis has re-signed Mickael Bourgain and Arnaud Dublé, two of its track stars, each for an additional year. The team will also keep Arnaud Tournant and Laurent Gané.

Bernaudeau re-signs Charteau and Voeckler

Jean-René Bernaudeau, director of the new Brioches la Boulangère (currently Bonjour) team, has re-signed Anthony Charteau and Thomas Voeckler for one year. Bernaudeau has also offered first year pro contracts to Christophe Kern, Maryan Hary and Sébastien Chavanel (brother of Sylvain).

Hoste to Lotto-Domo

Leif Hoste will ride for Lotto-Domo next year according to Het Belang Van Limburg. Hoste currently rides for Domo-Farm Frites.

Ljungqvist courted by Crédit Agricole

Swede Marcus Ljungqvist (EDS-fakta) has received an offer from Crédit Agricole to join the French team in 2003. Ljungqvist could be a valuable addition to C.A., having won two races in the Coupe de France series this year, although he has indicated a preference to remain with the Danish team is possible. Along with Scott Sunderland and Kurt Asle Arvesen, Ljungqvist has an agreement with EDS-fakta which stipulates that he may break his contract if he is offered another deal worth 30% more than his current salary.

EDS-fakta contracts

EDS-fakta's Morten Sonne will retire after three seasons with the team. Prior to EDS-fakta, he rode for Team Acceptcard. Sonne's best results were victory in Fyen Rundt and a stage in Sachsen Rundfahrt.

Roberto Lochowski will not get a new contract with EDS-fakta, but Norwegian Björnar Vestöl is expected to sign within days.

Saturn departures

Saturn's women's team will lose three of its current riders at the end of this season. Kimberly Bruckner has confirmed that she will ride for Team T-Mobile, while Petra Rossner and Judith Arndt will join the German Nurnberger team.

Pirard to Farm Frites-Hartol

18 year old Dutchwoman Christa Pirard will ride in 2003 for Team Farm Frites-Hartol. The junior rider from Sprundel will be the first rider to make the step from FFH's feeder team, Ton van Bemmelen Sports-Novilon. Pirard finished 5th in the Junior Women's Time Trial Championships yesterday. This season she won 19 races as a junior.

Important dates on the 2003 Women's calendar

The UCI issued its preliminary calendar for 2003 in Zolder today, covering road, track, cyclo-cross, indoor cycling, BMX, trials, masters, and selected cyclosportif events. Although the elite men's road calendar was not revealed in full, the women's calendar was, with the important events listed below. Additions to the World Cup include the Amstel Gold Race, on the same day as the men's race (April 20), and the Rund um die Nürnberger Altstadt in Germany on August 30.

October 8-11: World Road Championships (Can) CM
March 2: World Cup Australia (Aus) CDM
March 22: Primavera Rosa (Ita) CDM
March 30: Castilla y Leon (Spa) CDM
April 20: Amstel Gold Race voor Dames (Ned) CDM
April 23: La Fleche Wallonne (Bel) CDM
May 31: World Cup of Montreal (Can) CDM
August 23: GP de Plouay (Fra) CDM
August 30: Rund um die Nürnberger Altstadt (Ger) CDM
September 7: Rotterdam Tour (Ned) CDM

Holland Ladies Tour starts in Kampen

Next year's Holland Ladies Tour will start in Kampen, although it will not be starting on a Sunday despite a request from the organisers. The six day women's race will start on Monday, September 1, 2003, visiting various localities within the Netherlands.

Rumsas saga continues; possible release for Edita

French newspaper Le Monde, through a medical expert familiar with the Rumsas affair, reports that the products found in Mrs. Rumsas's car that fateful day in France were most likely intended for one person and not part of a doping regimen for an entire team.

According the LeMonde's (unnamed) expert, "among the 54 products analyzed, 32 were included in one of the prescriptions seized, and 22 did not relate to any prescription. Of the 22 products that weren't prescribed, 12 figure in the list of banned doping substances and doping methods." This would appear to contradict Raimondas Rumsas's claims to French police on September 10 that, "apart from vitamins and detoxification, I didn't take any other remedies. I never took any other medications during (the Tour)."

Meanwhile, Mrs. Rumsas's lawyers submitted a new request for her release on Tuesday, after her hearing with Franck Guesdon, judge in Bonneville, France. According to a source close to the judiciary, Edita Rumsas stands a chance of being released at the end of this week.

25 involved in drug trafficking heard by French judiciary

Former Crédit Agricole team doctor Hervé Stoïcheff was presented Wednesday before a tribunal in Perpignan, France, along with 24 others implicated in a drug trafficking ring, As reported in Le Monde, the accusation stated, "from 1997 to 2000, [Stoïcheff] offered, sold, administered, or facilitated the use of substances or procedures to artificially enhance athletes' capabilities at sporting competitions, including EPO and corticoids."

Stoïcheff was but part of a trafficking ring which includes 24 other athletes, doctors, and pharmacists who have also been accused. The affair was sparked by the arrest of two amateur cyclists at the Vélo Sprint de Narbonne in southern France. The cyclists were spotted in their car, injecting themselves with amphetamines at the roadside. After interrogation by gendarmes, they disclosed the existence of a large network of traffickers peddling doping products to amateur cyclists.

Clothes for Quick Step

Patrick Lefevere's Quick Step-Davitamon team will be sponsored by Vermarc sportswear in the clothing department next year, according to Gazet Van Antwerpen. Earlier it was revealed that the team will be riding Time bikes.

Theunisse European champion

In Mallorca on Sunday, October 6, former pro Gert-Jan Theunisse won the European Championship for handicapped riders in the 30 plus age division. Theunisse was injured in a head on collision with a car five years ago, which has affected his balance. Officially he is classed as 13 percent handicapped.

After retiring as a professional cyclist, Theunisse tried mountain biking and marathon running, but was not as successful in these as he was on the road, where he won the mountains classification in the Tour de France in 1989.

Central Massachusetts Cyclo-Cross To End Homelessness

The Central Massachusetts Cyclo-Cross To End Homelessness will take place at Burncoat Park in Worcester, MA on October 12, 2002. While this first-year event is UCI category 3, it has a UCI category 2 prizelist of $5000 in total.

Favourites for the elite men's race at 3:00PM include Team Saturn professional and former national 'cross champion Frank McCormack of Leicester, MA. He'll be joined by his Saturn teammate and brother Mark McCormack, a former two time U.S. National Champion himself.

Currently in top form, Mark Gullickson of Mongoose/Hyundai will bring his teammate, the U.S. National Cyclo-Cross Champion Todd Wells. Jonathan Page (Richard Sachs) will be there as well, along with Jonny Sundt (K2 Bikes), the reigning (and 5 time) Canadian National Champion Peter Wedge (Kona), U.S. U23 National Cyclo-Cross Champion Adam Craig (Giant), New England Favourite Josh Huseby (Independent Fabrications), and the Clif Bar team of Jackson Stewart, Dave Wyandt, and Andy Jacques-Maynes.

Competing in the elite women's race at 1:30PM will be the on-form Mary McConnelough (Seven Cycles), the Clif Bar duo of Carmen D'Alusio and Gina Hall making the trek from California, Canadian National Champion Shauna Gillies-Smith (SRP-Gearworks-Spin Arts), U.S. Masters Champion Jodi Groesbeck (Putney/WestHill), and U.S. collegiate champion Alicia Genest (Richard Sachs).

The Central Massachusetts Cyclo-Cross To End Homelessness is being held in part to raise awareness and funds for the Worcester People In Peril (PIP) Shelter. The Worcester PIP Shelter helps people in peril - the homeless, the working poor, indigent alcoholics, drug addicts and the de-institutionalized mentally ill - by providing opportunities for training, rehabilitation, education, care, treatment, housing, food and shelter, regardless of gender, race, colour, creed or sexual orientation, with the goal of putting an end to homelessness. More information on the PIP Shelter can be found at www.pipshelter.org.

New life for Kissena velodrome

This week, renovation began on the Kissena Park Velodrome in Queens, New York. Work will be funded through $192,000 in Parks Department allocations, as well as $80,000 in private donations. New York's bid for the 2012 Olympics has perhaps increased the city's enthusiasm for the renovation project, which has been needed for years. During the summer, Kissena Cycling Club continues to run races at the velodrome, which was constructed in 1962 and hosted the Olympic trials in 1964.

2002 Gay Games in Sydney

The Gay Games will arrive in Sydney with over 12,000 participants across all events. The Cycling and MTB events take place over five days at three different locations. An estimated 280 cyclists from 21 different countries will compete. The NSW Cycling Federation is officiating the event and Phill Bates is providing the infrastructure.

The schedule is:

Saturday, November 2 - Warm up Criterium
Monday, November 4 - Criterium
Tuesday, November 5 - Cross Country Mountain Bike
Wednesday, November 6 - Individual Time Trial
Thursday, November 7 - Circuit Road Race
Friday, November 8 - Team Time Trial

For more details, call Kate Rowe on 9798 5242 or email krowe@bigpond.com

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