First Edition News for March 11, 2003Edited by John Stevenson Top teams line up for Tirreno-AdriaticoTwo of Italy's top teams and Belgium's number one squad have announced their line-ups for the 38th Tirreno-Adriatico which starts Thursday, March 13 in Sabaudia. Domina Vacanze Elitron RDZ will be led by world champion Mario Cipollini who will be looking to further increase his tally of victories in Italy's only Hors Categorie stage race (the UCI's highest grade after the three Grand Tours). According to Domina Vacanze direttore sportivo Antonio Salutini, the team is built around Cipollini. "There are three sprint finishes in this Tirreno-Adriatico that will suit the Lion King," said Salutini. Cipollini will be supported by Daniele Bennati, Gabriele Colombo, Martin Derganc, Santos Gonzalez, Giovanni Lombardi, Alberto Ongarato and Mario Scirea. While Mario Cipollini goes for stage glory in the sprints, Saeco star and Cyclingnews diarist Danilo De Luca is after the overall victory. Di Luca is aiming for the top spot on the podium after coming second to Erik Dekker (Rabobank) last year and will be using Tirreno-Adriatico as final preparation for another early season goal: Milan-San Remo. Saeco's team will be rounded out by Stefano Zanini, Dario Pieri, Fabio Sacchi, Alessandro Spezialetti, Paolo Fornaciari, Gerrit Glomser and Alexander Shefer. Quick-Step Davitamon is also fielding a strong team for Tirreno-Adriatico, with Paolo Bettini and Johan Museeuw at the helm, though their form may be affected by their recent bouts of flu. They will be joined by Davide Bramati, Pedro Horrillo, Servais Knaven, Luca Paolini, Michael Rogers, and Patrick Sinkewitz. The stages
Team Ringerike back on track in AfricaBy Jean-François Quénet in Stellenbosch
Norway's first professional team, Team Ringerike (known last year as Team Krone) will resume racing for its second season in the Giro del Capo, starting in Durbanville, South Africa, today. In 2002, Team Krone made a strong debut with 15 wins including six UCI races: Classic Loire-Atlantique; stage 1 of the Tour of Normandy (both won by Rune Jogert); stage 2 in the Ringerike Grand Prix (Per Martin Lund); GC of the Ringerike Grand Prix (Mads Kaggestad, who has moved to Crédit Agricole), and two stages in the Eagle Tour of Malaysia (sprinter Rune Jogert again). Originally all-Norwegian, the team is now more international with the addition of Australian Simon Gerrans, Englishman Jonathan Dayus and Mattias Carlsson. Gerrans is a 22 year old from Victoria, who was originally coached by Phil Anderson. He won a stage in the GP Tell last year and a round of the Melbourne Bay Series crits early this year, beating no less than Robbie McEwen and Stuart O'Grady! Dayus is a 28-year-old who is almost unknown in England but well-known in French amateur cycling. He started cycling quite late and made his mark with the Nantes 44 cycling club, where he had the opportunity to impress the Norwegians by winning the queen stage of the Ringerike Grand Prix last year. Carlsson, 27, is a former team-mate of team manager Øyvind Lillehagen. He came second last year in the Boucles de l'Artois and fourth in the Swedish national championship. "I believe the chemistry in this team should be perfect this year because the foreigners will bring their skills as cyclists as well as their good mentality and high motivation, so the Norwegians should be able to show how good they are," said Lillehagen. The recruitment of these highly-motivated riders is already paying dividends. Team captain Gabriel Rasch has trained harder than ever this winter, despite the cold and snowy conditions of his hometown in Hønefoss. "I want to make a flying start this year and win one of the early season races," he said. The team will be back in Europe after the Pick 'n' Pay Argus Cycle Tour on Sunday. They'll take part in the Classic Loire-Atlantique (1.5, March 21); then the Tour of Normandy (2.5, March 24 - 30); Boucles de l'Artois (1.6, April 5); Prix des Flandres Françaises (1.6, April 6); and the Settimana Lombarda (2.5, April 16 - 20) before heading north to Norway for their biggest goal: the Ringerike Grand Prix (2.5, April 30 - May 4). The squad is now known as Team Ringerike after last year's main sponsor Krone folded. Manager Birger Hungerholdt has managed to fund the team thanks to the help of several sub-sponsors and he is still in discussions with a potential main sponsor who would support the team in the long term. Starting the season under the Cape Town sun - where it's 35°C at the moment - is a privilege for the riders, who are used to racing in northern Europe. "I'm very happy to be here, it's a paradise compared to the French amateur races I was used to the previous year," Englishman Dayus said. But Team Ringerike knows that the South Africans will be hard to beat at home. Hot favourite is defending champion David George, new signing with Team Barloworld. The biggest name in the race is Jens Heppner, but last year's Tour of Italy pink jersey wearer, now racing with Wiesenhof, has been sick in the last few days. The Giro del Capo will finish as usual at the top of Signal Hill with a time trial stage on Saturday. The stages
Australian Peden remains in Kiwi campBy Alan Messenger Australia's Kiwi cyclist Anthony Peden didn't ride the New Zealand Track Nationals at Dunedin last week but he was named in the NZ team to ride the Oceania Championships from 30 April - 4 May. "He's a New Zealander, he changed his citizenship two or three years ago," Convenor of Selectors Gordon Sharrock told Cyclingnews. Sharrock said that he doesn't know whether Peden intends to live or race in New Zealand in the future. The sprinter left New Zealand several months ago, at the time saying that he intended to re-settle in his home town, Newcastle. The NZ Selectors named a strong line-up of sprinters for the Championships, including Peden, Justin Grace (Auckland), former England Representative Neil Campbell, (Auckland), Jono Hamblyn (West Coast North Island) and Daniel Beetson (Otago). The other riders named are: Senior men: David Cresswsell (Canterbury), Peter Latham (Waikato), Tim Gudsell (Waikato), Jason Allen (Nelson Marlborough), Richard Bowker (Auckland), Anthony Chapman (Otago), Marc Ryan (Mid South Canterbury), Heath Blackgrove (Mid South Canterbury), Matt Randall (Southland), Walker Starr (Auckland). Under 17 men. Rowan Brown (Mid South Canterbury), Jonathon Lewis (Canterbury), Logan Hunn (Waikato), Ben Simpson (Auckland), Mark Langlands (Waikato), Darren Shea (Canterbury). Under 19 men: Josh England (Auckland), Ricky Hair (Auckland), Mathew Haydock (Auckland), Adam Coker (Auckland), Logan Caulfield (Auckland), Mat Shriek (Southland). Women: Liz Williams (Auckland), Katria Lake (Otago), Dale Tye (Otago), Joanna Kiesanawski (Canterbury), Tania Boyd (Canterbury), Catherine Sell (West Coast North Island). Two arrested in Stewart bashingTwo men have been arrested over the bashing of Australian cyclist Kial Stewart, according to Australian newspaper reports. Police said that a 30-year-old man from Walkerville and a 22-year-old man from Henley Beach had been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Stewart was reported to have 'several broken bones' and 'a head like a melon' after being hit with a cricket bat in the incident early Friday morning in Adelaide. Nature Valley GP returns pro racing to MinneopolisOrganizers are expecting a big turnout for the spectator highlight of this year's Nature Valley Grand Prix (June 12-15), the Downtown Criterium on Friday June 13 in the Minneapolis entertainment district. It's the first time a pro race has been held in Minneapolis since 1995, the final year of the Norwest Cup, and the new event will partner with the popular 'Alive After 5' concert at Peavey Plaza, which is inside the race course. The Nature Valley Grand Prix, which boasts a $41,000 prize list, opens with two new races: the Iron Range Road Race and the Mesabi Trail Time Trial. Following the Downtown Minneapolis Criterium, the action will move to the Mississippi River city of Winona, where the riders will find a road race course that includes challenging one-mile climbs. The grand finale will again be the Stillwater Criterium that features the infamous Chilkoot Hill and is regarded as one of the toughest criteriums in the country. The stages
CTC celebrates 125th birthdayBritish recreational cycling and campaigning organisation CTC is 125 years old in 2003 and is marking the occasion with events for riders of all abilities over the May Bank Holiday weekend of May 3-5. There will be rides from five to 125 miles as part of National Outdoor Week (NOW!) when outdoor organisations are joining forces to encourage people to enjoy the British countryside. To cater of cyclists of all abilities, most of the May Bank rides will include refreshment stops and many will visit local places of interest. CTC London, for example, will be taking cyclists to the sites of several early velodromes and the venue for the first National Bike Week right back in the 1920s. CTC's week-long Hardy Rides from August 2-9 will also celebrate the 125th anniversary when up to 2,000 people will spend a week in scenic Dorset enjoying a range of road and offroad rides and social events. The Hardy Rides - named for author and keen cyclist Thomas Hardy - will also offer day-long and half-day mountain bike rides, including the 70km Dorset Dirt challenge. The Dirt is one of 30 rides in the Hardy Rides week which will be held at Warmwell Holiday Park, near Dorchester and Weymouth. Originally the Bicycle Touring Club, the CTC was formed in 1878 and day rides, weekend events and worldwide cycling holidays remain an important part of CTC activity. For details of the Bank Holiday rides visit www.ctc.org.uk and for information on the Hardy rides see www.ctcbirthdayrides.org VeloGirls celebrates first birthdayFrom one of cycling's oldest organizations to one of its newest; San Francisco's Bay Area Velo Girls cycling club is celebrating its first birthday this month with a party on March 15 at the Burlingame Women's Club and its first annual birthday ride on March 23. Founded in March 2002 by Lorri Lee Lown, a USA Cyling coach, spinning instructor and personal trainer, the mission of the Bay Area Velo Girls is to promote a fun and friendly cycling experience for women. "My goal in founding Velo Girls was to provide a safe, encouraging environment for women of every ability level (from beginner to racer) to explore the bike," said Lown. In its first year Velo Girls has hosted 112 rides, held 29 clinics on topics ranging from nutrition to bike maintenance to bike handling skills and grown to 146 members, including 31 racers, many of whom were complete beginners just a year ago. For more information, see www.VeloGirls.com (All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2003) |
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