A provencal platter of pedal related news this week: Phonak Races To the Sun, Baby Girl For Mario Aerts, Final Team’s Announced For Giro, Paris-Nice Teams, Vuelta Teams Announced, Cunego’s Season Rolling, Cofidis: Objective Prologue, Brochard Injured, Serrano Unfit To Start, Arno Wallaard: RIP, UCI Leak Identified, Sosenka Injured and the Plat du Jour!
Phonak Races To the Sun
In last week's EuroTrash we reported that the Phonak team set out to win the Tour of California with their team leader Floyd Landis. No one can argue with results and the team delivered as Floyd recorded a convincing victory in the race. Landis’ impressive time trial win marked the culmination of specific work including wind tunnel testing conducted by the team to improve the American’s performance. This week, the team led by Landis will be lining up for the start of Paris-Nice. Whilst the race does not include a time trial stage (no significant time differences are foreseen in the 4.8km prologue), the team’s press release this week announced that they are hoping for a good result in the France. Having arrived in Europe at the beginning of the week, Floyd hopes to become acclimatised by Sunday and commented that “Paris–Nice isn’t the most important race of the season for me. I’ll take it day by day and give it my best. But I’m sure that a strong team will be supporting me.” The improvement in Floyd’s time trialling capacity in 2006 also improves his prospects for the Tour de France. Lance Armstrong previously marked out the 31 year old as a potential grand tour contender and though Armstrong himself rarely used Paris-Nice as part of his build up for the Tour de France a strong performance in the race could bode well for the rest of the season. The Phonak team for Paris-Nice comprises:
Aurélien Clerc, Martin Elmiger, Robert Hunter, Nicolas Jalabert, Floyd Landis, Axel Merckx, Koos Moerenhout, Alexandre Moos. Get your sunglasses out!
Baby Girl For Mario Aerts
Last week Gianluca Bortolami became the proud father of a son and this week Mario and and Annelies Aerts became the proud parents of a baby girl. Nomi Aerts was born on 28 February at 3.40pm. Wonder if he fitted in his training before? Congratulations!
Final Team’s Announced For Giro
The final teams for this year’s Giro d’Italia have been announced. The race, to take place from the 6th-28th May are:
AG2R PREVOYANCE (FRA)
BOUYGUES TELECOM (FRA)
CAISSE D’EPARGNE - ILLES BALEARS (SPA)
CERAMICA PANARIA – NAVIGARE (IRL)
COFIDIS (FRA)
CREDIT AGRICOLE (FRA)
DAVITAMON – LOTTO (BEL)
DISCOVERY CHANNEL PRO CYCLING TEAM (USA)
EUSKALTEL – EUSKADI (SPA)
FRANCAISE DES JEUX (FRA)
GEROLSTEINER (GER)
LAMPRE FONDITAL (ITA)
LIBERTY SEGUROS - WÜRTH TEAM (SPA)
LIQUIGAS (ITA)
PHONAK HEARING SYSTEMS (SVI)
QUICK STEP INNERGETIC (BEL)
RABOBANK (OLA)
SAUNIER DUVAL – PRODIR (SPA)
SELLE ITALIA-SERRAMENTI DIQUIGIOVANNI (COL)
TEAM CSC (DAN)
TEAM MILRAM (ITA)
T-MOBILE TEAM (GER)
Paris-Nice Teams
Continuing the theme, the teams set to line-up for the ‘Race to the Sun’ this weekend are:
TEAM CSC
PHONAK HEARING SYSTEMS
RABOBANK
DAVITAMON - LOTTO
LIBERTY SEGUROS - WÜRTH
GEROLSTEINER
SAUNIER DUVAL - PRODIR
DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM
CREDIT AGRICOLE
CAISSE D’EPARGNE-ILLES BALEARS
COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE
QUICK STEP - INNERGETIC
T-MOBILE TEAM
LIQUIGAS
LAMPRE
BOUYGUES TELECOM
TEAM MILRAM
EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI
FRANCAISE DES JEUX
AG2R PREVOYANCE
AGRITUBEL
Vuelta Teams Announced
And yet again, another teams list. This time, Unipublic, the organisers of the Vuelta have decided to announce the list of teams for the race despite the fact that it is the last of the Grand Tours in the season. Here they are:
AG2R PREVOYANCE FRA
BOUYGUES TELECOM FRA
CAISSE D'EPARGNE-ILLES BALEARS ESP
COFIDIS, LE CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE FRA
COMUNIDAD VALENCIANA ESP
CREDIT AGRICOLE FRA
DAVITAMON-LOTTO BEL
DISCOVERY CHANNEL PRO CYCLING TEAM USA
EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI ESP
FRANÇAISE DES JEUX FRA
GEROLSTEINER GER
LAMPRE-FONDITAL ITA
LIBERTY SEGUROS - WÜRTH TEAM ESP
LIQUIGAS ITA
PHONAK HEARING SYSTEMS SUI
QUICK STEP - INNERGETIC BEL
RABOBANK NED
RELAX-GAM ESP
SAUNIER DUVAL - PRODIR ESP
TEAM CSC DEN
TEAM MILRAM ITA
T-MOBILE TEAM GER
Cunego’s Season Rolling
Damiano Cunego’s season has got off to a good start with a top ten finish. The Italian cyclist finished 8th in the Clasica de Almeria, a hard race, characterised by strong wind that caused many difficulties for the competitors. The Spaniard Perez Sanchez of the Iles Baleares team won the race, with Serrano and Garcia Quesada in second and third place respectively. The two were his companions in an escape that lasted for 120 kms. The race marked a positive start for the Lampre-Fondital team with Figueras and Szmyd also finishing with the first group after the breakaway, 20 seconds behind the winner. However, DS Martinelli was slightly disappointed after Valjavec, Bruseghin and Tiralongo were involved in crashes caused by the wind. “In a race hardened by the strong wind, finishing with the best racers, it’s a good signal for Damiano” explained Giuseppe Martinelli “Cunego showed in the début that is in a quite good shape. I’m sorry for our three fallen cyclist: we will see tomorrow morning their physical conditions”.
Cofidis: Objective Prologue
In an interview with French sports daily l’Equipe, general manager Eric Boyer outlined the team’s objectives for Paris-nice. The 4.8km prologue from Issy-les-Moulineaux is the primary target for the outfit. With Rik Verbrugghe’s pedigree in short time trials, track star Bradley Wiggins and all round talent Sylvain Chavanel "It is in our grasp” estimates Boyer. The team are also hoping for glory in the mountains with Columbian climber Ivan Parra, racing for the first time in Cofidis colours. The team for Paris-Nice is as follows.
Stephan Augé, Sylvain Chavanel and David Moncoutié (FRA), Thierry Marichal, Maxime Monfort and Rik Verbrugghe (BEAUTIFUL), Ivan Parra (COLLAR), Bradley Wiggins (GBR).
Brochard Injured
Laurent Brochard’s participation in the other big stage race - Tirreno-Adriatico is in doubt after he has slipped a disc. The Bouygues Telecom rider is set to be replaced by Franck Renier. "Laurent will receive a second treatment but, if there is no improvement, we will have to look for another intervention, either rest or therapy", indicated Jean-Rene Bernaudeau, the manager of the formation. Brochard is a former World Champion and at 38 is one of the more ‘senior’ riders in the peloton. He is no stranger to back problems having suffered a similar complaint back in 1997 when he won the World Championships in Spain. He received surgery for the injury but has complained of pain since then. Just in case your interested, the roster for the team in Paris-Nice is:
Pierrick Fédrigo, Christophe Kern, Yoann Le Boulanger, Laurent Lefèvre, Jérôme Pineau, Didier Rous et Thomas Voeckler (FRA), Stef Clement (NED)
Serrano Unfit To Start
Spanish rider Ricardo Serrano was declared unfit to race following UCI blood tests in the Tour of Murcia. The Kaiku rider did not exceed the maximum heamatocrit of 50% but the combined readings in comparison with other haematological parameters (haemoglobin and reticulocytes) were a potential indication of blood manipulation leading the UCI to suspend the rider on health grounds for 15 days. The team is contesting the result and is standing by Ricardo. The Tour of Murcia began yesterday and ends next Wednesday.
Arno Wallaard: RIP
Young Dutch cyclist Arno Wallaard died suddenly this Wednesday whilst returning from training. The 26 year old pro had complained of feeling sick and tragically passed away later on that evening. The team released a statement in which they said “The team is speechless and shocked and our thoughts are with his family and friends.". May he rest in peace.
UCI Leak Identified
One of the biggest scandals of 2005 was the L’Equipe report which suggested Lance Armstrong had used the illegal blood-boosting erythropoietin (EPO) during the 1999 Tour de France. The claims were made on the basis of a confidential report of the anti-doping laboratory of Paris containing results of research conducted on 1999 Tour de France samples and 15 forms obtained by an investigative journalist for L’Equipe which linked the anonymous urine sample codes with the forms signed by Armstrong on producing the samples. The forms were purported to have come from within the UCI. The tests conducted in 2005 on samples taken during the 1999 were designed to validate the EPO detection method by nature of the fact that as no EPO test was in use during the 1999 Tour any riders using the performance enhancer would have no reason to attempt to mask its presence. Armstrong vehemently denied the allegations and appointed a Dutch lawyer to investigate. The UCI has now made an official statement in which it confirms that the forms came from within its organisation. "The internal investigation of the UCI has indeed resulted in the fact that the staff member concerned has now admitted that he must have given to (journalist) Mr. Ressiot a copy of all 15 forms, instead of just one," The UCI states that the forms were obtained on false pretence by the l’Equipe journalist who claimed that he required them to write an article “confirming that since his [Lance Armstrong’s] return to competition in 1999, he had never taken any medicine in relation with possible consequences of the cancer he had overcome". The UCI went on to say that it “has immediately taken the appropriate internal measures” and went on to comment that “the UCI awaits the results of the independent investigation on the doping allegations against Lance Armstrong”. On Armstrong’s part in relation to the test results, a condition set by the French laboratory was that the could not be used for disciplinary purposes.
Sosenka Injured
The current world hour record holder Ondrej Sosenka has fallen this week whilst riding resulting in an injury to his hand which included a fractured finger. However, it is not thought that the injury will impede the preparations of the Acqua & Sapone rider for the upcoming Tirreno-Adriatico. Sosenka and his medical team are attempting to restore mobility to his finger as soon as possible. Last year, Ondrej broke Chris Boardman’s Hour Record mark with a 49.7km ride.
Plat du Jour!
There are numerous sites out on the net by aspiring pros but one that caught my eye was zerailleur.com. Zach Bell is a young rider who converted to cycling from freestyle wrestling. Not only that, he was raised in the Yukon, Canada. Not a typical background for a top road racing cyclist but only three years after beginning his journey on skinny tyres he is a member of the Canadian national team and is now flying to the sunny climbs of Australia for the Commonwealth Games. “This site is a catalogue of me as a rider, a person, and how I think I fit into the world of cycling and the world in general” says Zach. With some cool videos, pictures and articles, the site makes a good job of fulfilling its mission statement
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