First Edition News for March 25, 2003

Edited by Jeff Jones

Bettini up to number one

After winning Milan-San Remo, Quick.Step-Davitamon's Paolo Bettini is the new top ranked rider on UCI points. With 2300 points, Bettini is now ahead of Erik Zabel (2273) and Lance Armstrong (2105).

"I'm very happy," he said. It's a huge satisfaction for me to be ranked higher than riders like Zabel and Armstrong. I'm first in the rankings thanks to all the good results I've had so far this season. I didn't really think about the rankings. When I line-up for the start of a race, I just think about winning it."

Paolo Bettini's points also helped Quick.Step-Davitamon reach the number one spot in the team rankings ahead of Rabobank and Fassa Bortolo.

Cipollini versus FDJeux.com

World Champion Mario Cipollini wasn't quite as gracious in defeat as his post race comments indicated, being involved in an altercation with FDJeux.com's Bernhard Eisel (12th) after the finish. Cipollini punched Eisel in the head, believing him to be Australian sprinter Baden Cooke. The reason for the outburst was that Cooke did not let Cipollini take Erik Zabel's wheel in the final kilometre, after Cipollini's leadout train had burned out between the Cipressa and the Poggio...

More MSR injuries: Pozzato and Ferrara

Filippo Pozzato started Milan-San Remo as one of the favourites, but finished it when he crashed behind Enrico Cassani on the descent of the Cipressa. The 21 year old winner of Tirreno-Adriatico finished up with a deep leg wound, requiring four stitches, when he hit a guard rail.

Alessio's Raffaele Ferarra was also involved in an accident during the race, and was taken to hospital in Castelfranco Veneto. Ferrara has been diagnosed with fractures of the second and third vertebrae, and will have to rest for at least three weeks before returning to the bike.

BankGiroLoterij invited to Ronde van Vlaanderen

The top Division II team, BankGiroLoterij, has received an invitation to the Ronde van Vlaanderen, the second round of the World Cup on April 6. The organisers gave the team a wild card after its excellent performances so far this season, which has seen it dominate the second division.

Team manager Arend Scheppink was quoted by ANP as saying, "With the victories, among others, of Pronk in Nokere-Koerse and Kemna and Schmitz in Rhodes we've done well. We are also on top in the ranking list for division II.

RVV organiser Harry van den Bremt said that, "We had to make a choice between a few teams. AG2R, Jean Delatour, Brioches La Boulangère and fakta were also in the running. We chose BankGiroLoterij because the riders have been very good and they also played a big role in last year's Ronde."

However, if not all 25 teams send a full complement of riders to the start, there could be a place for a 26th team. "We asked the UCI for to make an exception for this year's edition. We are expecting a telephone call from Switzerland in the days to come," added Van Den Bremt. "There was the confusion if Team Coast was going to be allowed to start, but now they have been given the word go by the UCI. We were already talking to other teams to fill their spot in case that wasn't the case."

Team fakta selected for Giro d'Italia

Danish Team fakta has been invited to the Giro d'Italia, staring in Lecce on May 10. "We have really waited for this message," said manager Peter Sejer Nielsen when the fax arrived at the team headquarters on Monday. "It's hard to plan the season when you don't know how it will be in advance. Now we have the possibility to get the riders ready for this three week stage race."

"We have been trying to animate the races we have ridden until now. And also we have two Italian sponsors, Pata Chips and Pasta Montegrappa besides our Italian bike sponsor Opera, for them this selection is fantastic."

Sports director Kim Andersen added that, "It looks as though we won't ride any other World Cup race than Amstel Gold Race, so therefore the riders will be extra motivated for some good results in the Giro. I'm sure we can do some good stage results."

Sydney revs up for World Cup

Likely to be Australia's biggest ever track meet

By John Stevenson

Sean Eadie gets comfy on his home track
Photo: © Aaron Findlay

With 175 riders already confirmed and the likelihood of a final tally over 200, the fourth and final round of the UCI Track World Cup is shaping up to be the biggest international track meeting ever held in Australia, overtaking the 188 international riders who raced in the track events at the Sydney Olympics.

Launching the May 16-18 event last week, Cycling Australia CEO Graham Fredericks said that 29 countries had already confirmed their attendance and more were expected to nominate before the mid-April deadline. "Present indications suggest we could see 200 or more of the world's best cyclists in action in Sydney," said Fredericks. He added that this was about double the attendance of last year's round, indicating strong growth for the second of the six years Sydney is signed up to host a World Cup round.

Commenting on Australia's chances in the event, Fredericks said that Australian team riders "love to have the home town advantage" at Sydney. That's certainly true for world sprint champion Sean Eadie more than perhaps any other rider. The Dunc Gray Velodrome is situated in the mid-Western Sydney suburb of Bankstown and is run by Bankstown Sports Club. As a member of Bankstown Sports' cycling arm, Eadie is relishing the chance to wear the rainbow stripes before a home crowd on his home track.

"I know this track inside-out," said Eadie, admitting the hometown advantage. "I love riding here. It's great to come here and show people what I do."

For Eadie and team-mate Ryan Bayley, the Sydney World Cup is a major step on the road to the 2003 world championships in China, July 30-August 3. Commonwealth games sprint champion Bayley said Sydney was one of the three events for which he and Eadie intended to peak this year, the other two being the national championships and the World's.

Bayley admitted he'd suffered burn-out at the end of 2002 after being "expected to win everything" in the wake of his 2001 Kierin world title. After winning junior and then senior world championships, and training and racing for three years non-stop to the end of 2002, he realized he was over-doing it and took a complete break, spending a month at home in Western Australia at the end of last year. It worked, he says. "Right now I'm loving riding my bike again. You just try and get me off it!"

Eadie is also enthusiastic as ever about the racing year ahead and despite being relatively old for a sprinter at 33, he doesn't think he's slowing down. "I want to do better this year than last year. I made errors last year and now I want to fine tune a few things. I certainly don't think about my age. I'm just loving riding at the moment."

Tickets for the Sydney Track World Cup are available from Ticketmaster and start at $16.50 for a morning session adult ticket.

The countries so far confirmed to compete are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, Uruguay and the USA.

Photos from the launch

Images by Aaron Findlay

• Sean Eadie strikes a pose on his home track.
• Ryan Bayley gives an interview to Radio 2GB's Andrew Moore with Sean Eadie also on stage.
• Rod McGee gives State Member for Bankstown, Tony Stewart last minute tips before taking him for a spin on a tandem on the track.

Big Boys coming to Herne Hill

World Sprint Champion Sean Eadie has been announced as competing in the Good Friday Meeting at Herne Hill velodrome in London on April 18. Currently without beard, Eadie will be bringing along a few friends with him, in the form of Shane Kelly and Ryan Bayley. The three of them will face the cream of British sprinting talent, including Jamie Staff, Chris Hoy and last year's International Sprint winner Ross Edgar.

If that's not enough, Italian Roberto Chiappa has announced that he's coming back to The Hill for the first time since winning the event in 2001. Seen as the "bad boy" of Italian sprinting, Chiappa is mostly remembered by fans for unceremoniously dumping his French opponent Laurent Gane onto the boards in Manchester at the Worlds in 2000. The organisers are hoping not to see a repeat of that, although they do expect some fireworks.

The International Sprint on Good Friday will not only see the big boys fighting it out for glory, local club riders are given a chance to take on some of the best in the world and see if they can upset the apple cart. Heats will be starting at 11.00am and then the finals will be going on throughout the day.

For more, see www.hernehillcycling.com

Louis Garneau Racing 2003

DK Cycling, based in Burlington VT, has announced Louis Garneau USA as its title sponsor for the 2003 season. Louis Garneau Racing will compete primarily in New England, focusing on races like the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic and the Tour of Vermont.

Team roster

(All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2003)