First Edition Cycling News for November 21, 2003Edited by Jeff Jones Kelme confident
The boss of Spanish cycling team Kelme-Costa Blanca, Pepe Quiles, is confident that he can dig the team out of its latest financial crisis, which reportedly involves an unpaid tax bill of €762,000, two months of unpaid salaries and no UCI bank guarantee for 2004. "I'm expecting the final payments and I suppose there is always a slight delay at the end of the year, but everyone will get paid," said Quiles to EFE radio. "I'm confident that the cyclists will be paid on Monday or Tuesday and the guarantee will be paid before the end of this month. It's normal that there is a certain nervousness, but this delay can be considered normal." Should Kelme get its finances in order before the end of the year, then it will probably be called Kelme-Comunidad Valenciana next season, and Pepe Quiles said that he has another new sponsor lined up. "Eighty percent of the money to settle this situation will come from the existing sponsors, and the rest will come from another sponsor that has already confirmed and will be the third or fourth sponsor on the jersey," said Quiles. Quiles also commented on the status of Alejandro Valverde, who is under contract with Kelme but being courted by Manolo Saiz's Liberty Seguros team. "It's nothing more than speculation that Valverde is leaving," said Quiles. "But I'm happy that he is being spoken of, because he is an important rider. He renewed before the Vuelta and there is no problem." The team has yet to qualify for the Tour de France, but Quiles is confident that he will receive an invitation, based on the team's enlivening performances in past editions of the Tour. Bugno returns as directorFormer professional and two time world champion Gianni Bugno will return to cycling in 2004 with a new role as directeur sportif for the De Nardi-Colpack team. Bugno finished his road career in 1998, and since then has worked as a pilot with the Italian helicopter rescue squad. Coaxed back to cycling by De Nardi manager Gianluigi Stanga, a former directeur of Bugno's, the 1990 Giro d'Italia winner will guide the team as it begins the coming season in the Division I ranks, after finishing second in Division II in 2003. The team will also have a new sponsor next season, with Piemme Telecom adorning their jerseys in 2004. Contract newsVan Bondt signs for Landbouwkrediet33 year old Geert Van Bondt (CSC) has signed a contract with the Landbouwkrediet-Colnago team for a period of one year. Van Bondt will be the 23rd member of the team, which includes: Santo Anza, Sergiy Avdyeyev, Lorenzo Bernucci, Volodomir Bileka, Ludovic Capelle, Bert De Waele, Ludo Dierckxsens, Vladimir Duma, Jacky Durand, Giario Ermeti, Christian Gasperoni, Sergey Lagutin, Ruslan Gryshenko, Tony Bracke, Yuri Mitlushenko, Yaroslav Popovych, Nico Sijmens, Tom Steels, Marc Streel, Mikhail Timochine, Tomas Vaitkus, Geert Van Bondt and Johan Verstrepen. Euba and Herrero to PaterninaBasque riders Lander Euba and David Herrero will ride for Paternina-Costa Almeria next season. The pair rode for Euskaltel-Euskadi this year, but did not receive contract renewals. Euba finished second overall in the Trofeo Joaquim Agostinho, while Herrero won a stage of the Vuelta a La Rioja. Paternina has also signed David Fernández (Relax Fuenlabrada), and will likely sign Mikel Elgezabal and Jon del Río. Verstraeten to JacquesCyclo-cross specialist Jan Verstraeten (Vlaanderen-T Interim) is the latest rider to join the Chocolade Jacques team in 2004. He will sign a contract next week. De Neef to lead Vlaanderen IIIBelgian track rider Steven De Neef, currently competing in the Ghent Six, will next year have a role as the road captain of the Vlaanderen-T Interim division III team. Nicole Brändli to Michela FaniniItalian team Michela Fanini-Record Rox has signed Swiss cyclist Nicole Brändli (Prato Marathon Bike) to its team for 2004. Brändli, a podium finisher in the women's Giro, Tour and many other top races, will be a valuable asset to Fanini's team. The squad has also acquired the services of Katia Longhin (Acca Due O) and will have a new directeur sportif in Stefano Della Santa. Large crowd for Rusconi's funeral
A large crowd gathered for the funeral of Italian cyclist Marco Rusconi (24), who died last Friday of heart failure attributed to a congenital condition. The funeral was held on Thursday, November 20 in Binago, and those present included Italian technical director Franco Ballerini, and riders Stefano Garzelli, Paolo Bettini, Daniele Nardello, and Luca Paolini, who was Rusconi's brother-in-law. David Millar to ride inaugural Hong Kong Cycle ClassicMalta born, Hong Kong raised Scottish cyclist David Millar (Cofidis) has been announced as taking part in the inaugural edition of the Hong Kong Cycle Classic on January 4, 2004, which is also Millar's birthday. The 96 km criterium will be held over a 2.4 course, located in the Wanchai and Admiralty Districts. Other riders confirmed for the event include Six Day stars Bruno Risi, Scott McGrory and Franz Stocher, and Marco Polo's Hong Kong star Kam Po Wong, with more to be announced in the coming weeks. The majority of the field will be formed by riders who are participating in the Tour of South China Sea (UCI 2.5), which finishes a few days prior on the island of Macao. Teams in both races include Hong Kong's Marco Polo Cycling Team, Webcor USA, Dukla Praha Czech Republic, Giant Asia Racing Team Taiwan, Mroz Poland and Chinese and Kazakhstan national teams as well as some amateur teams from Europe, USA and Australia. The total field will be over 100 riders. "It's great for cycling that this event can be held in Hong Kong," said David Millar. "Let's hope there will be more races like this on exciting places all over the world. For me it is even more special, as it is on my birthday and I am happy to be able to celebrate this in Hong Kong, where I grew up and where my father lives!" Shay Elliot Memorial is go for 2004By Tommy Campbell, Irish Independent, Evening Herald, Sunday Independent It has been confirmed that the Bray Wheelers Cycling Club will again promote the Shay Elliot Memorial, an Irish one day race that is classified by the UCI. A number of significant improvements have been envisaged to improve the status of the event which starts and finishes on the main street of the town of Bray. Current chairman, Urban Monks made it abundantly clear that for the event to make a bigger impact, significant sponsorship would be a priority. "The present climate in attracting a sponsor is rather difficult but with a name like the 'Shay Elliott Memorial' it may make our task that bit simpler," said Urban. The club has had some very interesting companies which have supported the 'Wheelers', but the promotion of a world class race is another kettle of fish. The Bray Wheelers are no strangers to organising top class promotions. Since the mid '70s, the roll of honour reads like a who's who when it came to attracting blue chip sponsors: Elliott Swift Post, Coca Cola Grand Prix, Guinness Series of races, Coors Grand Prix, Waterford Crystal and the Lucozade Shay Elliott to name but a few. The Lucozade sponsorship was one of the longest in the club's history, and was up there with the FBD Milk Ras. The onus will now rest with Urban in motivating the strong membership of the club into securing sponsorship. "We have to cater for all the facets of the club, and this will mean that it's incumbent on all of us to make every effort to raise the profile of the club, and that will mean securing extra revenue," said Urban. He did confirm that negotiations were at an advanced stage in relation to the "Elliott" and invitations to at least six countries, a prerequisite of the UCI, are in hand. There is an urgency to secure an attractive sponsor that will get a return for its investment. Gone are the days of handouts when it comes to sponsorship. 19th Vuelta Del PorvenirFollowing on from the recent Vuelta de la Juventud for U23 riders, Colombia's next big youth race will be the 19th Vuelta del Porvenir from December 3-7. Reserved for U19 riders, the Vuelta del Porvenir will take place over five stages through the departments of Boyacá y Cundinamarca. The race will include two mountain top finishes (Stage 2 and Stage 4) and a 22.1 km time trial between Sopo and Guasca to conclude with. Last year's winner Oscar Sánchez will return in 2003, riding for the Bicicletas Sprint de Pereira team. It's expected that around 180 riders will participate in the 2003 edition. The stages Stage 1 - December 3: Tocancipa-Chocontá-Villapinzón-Tunja, 105.8 km
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