|
28.10.2006/ Manolo Saiz keeps Pro-Tour license, Charges against Basso dropped,
Spanish cycling federation drops Puerto charges, Sixdays in Dortmund: Zabel/Risi defended their lead at the second
night, Bjarne wants to sell bikes, Rujano to Naturino-Sapore Di Mare?, Uran three
years with Unibet.com, Michael Boogerd might race untill 2008, Marcus
Burghardt: "Bike-handling skills are crucial"
New: Picture gallery Tour of Lombardy 2006
New: Puerto: investigators under suspicion
Manolo Saiz keeps Pro-Tour license
As we reported two days ago, Manolo Saiz will keep his Pro-Tour license.
Yesterday the UCI confirmed the astonishing developement. The UCI issued a statement that it only provided Saiz with a license
because the involvement with the Puerto affair of the co-owner of Active Bay can't be proven. Saiz was arrested
on May 23 and was accused of being involved with the Spanish doping network of Dr. Fuentes.
The former Liberty Seguros manager has valid contracts with this years Vuelta
Espana winner Alexander Vinokourov and his domestique Andrey Kashechin for the upcoming two seasons.
The Spanish cycling federation said disciplinary action against Saiz, Comunidad Valenciana director Vicente
Belda, Labarta and Fuentes's sister Yolanda, who are all bound by the federation's anti-doping code, would continue but observers
say that the case will be difficult as the Spanish federation won't be allowed to use court documents in their case against
Manolo Saiz.
Spanish daily newspaper "El Mundo" reported yesterday that it's possible that the charges against Dr. Fuentes
also will be dropped and the whole Puerto case might lead to nothing.
Charges against Basso dropped
The Italian cycling federation (FCI) affirmed the Italian Olympic Committee's
(CONI) recommendation to drop charges against this years winner of the Giro d' Italia, Ivan Basso yesterday. The FCI stated
in a pressrelease on Friday: "The commission, in light of the shelving from the Anti-doping lawyer CONI concerning Ivan Basso,
after having examined the legal documents, arranged for the shelving of the procedure." The decision means that Ivan Basso
is free to race again. The Italian rider parted ways with CSC and is linked with Barloworld and Discovery Channel. Discovery
Channel's manager, Johan Bruyneel told "eurosport.com" yesterday that he is interested in signing Ivan Basso if he will be
cleared by the UCI.
Spanish cycling federation drops Puerto charges
The Spanish cycling federation (RFEC) has closed all disciplinary files against the riders who are allegedly
implicated in the Puerto scandal. The federation issued a statement saying that the licenses of the involved riders
were never suspended and that they are free to race again. The RFEC statement also says that the federation might reopen the
cases once the judicial proceedings are concluded.
|
| Gutierrez, charges dropped (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
Sixdays in Dortmund: Zabel/Risi defended their lead at the second night
Erik Zabel and his partner from Switzerland, Bruno Risi, kept their lead of the 65th Dortmund Sixdays right
after the second night. Zabel and Risis have 116 points.
Rank two after the second night is occupied by Danny Stam/Iljo Nelissen. The Dutch duo have 88
points and is already one round behind Zabel/Risi.
Rujano to Naturino-Sapore Di Mare?
According to "Tuttobiciweb.com" José Rujano might leave the Belgian Quickstep squad and join
Naturino-Sapore Di Mare in the 2007 season. After his fantastic Giro d'Italia in 2005, when
Rujano won the mountain jersey and became third in the overall, the past season was very dissapointing for Rujano. The team
will also announce a new sponsor next week, Naturino-Sapore Di Mare will stop their
sponsorship on December 31.
Bjarne wants to sell bikes
Riis Cycling will be the new distributor of Cervélo in Scandinavia. From January 2007 you will be able to
buy the original Cervélo frames at selected cycling stores in Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
”For many years we
have had a great partnership with Cervélo and for us, distribution of cycling related products is a natural way to expand
our business. It is no secret there is a huge demand for Cervélo bikes on the Scandinavian market and we are loooking very
much forward to making Cervélo available in this part of Europe,” says Kim Plesner, Head of Marketing at Riis Cycling.
Cervélo
has been sponsoring Team CSC since 2003 and has since then won several awards; among them the Manufacturer's Award at this
year's ProTour.
“We're very excited to increase our collaboration with Riis Cycling even further with this partnership.
First we were bike suppliers, then we became partners in product development and now we are partners in making Cervélo available
to the Scandinavian market. Of course it is a great advantage for the customers to have the team do this, it really adds value
to the whole experience of purchasing a Cervélo, and I am very happy that Bjarne has decided to get involved in Cervelo in
this way,” says Gerard Vroomen, co-founder of Cervélo.
Uran three years with Unibet.com
Rigoberto Uran is the latest win for the Unibet.com
cycling team. The young Columbian signed a contract for three seasons with the team yesterday afternoon. Uran is only
19 years old and comes from Team Tenax.
“Uran is a very talented rider who has the potential of becoming an
excellent climber and timetriallist. Furthermore he’s really ambitious”, says Sports Director Jacques Hanegraaf
of Unibet.com. Rigoberto Uran is the second Columbian Unibet.com is recruiting this year. Earlier this month, the team also
signed Viktor Hugo Peña.
Rigoberto Uran became Columbian junior road champion in 2005. In the same year, he was also
the best in the national track championships scratch, pursuit and point race. The 19 year-old Uran rode his first season as
a professional cyclist with Team Tenax this year.
Michael Boogerd might race untill 2008
In his Column for Dutch daily newspaper "De Telegraaf" Michael Boogerd says
that he considered to stop racing after the 2007 spring classics but after he decided to continue races untill the end of
the 2007 season he even started to make plans for the 2008 season. Boogerd also says that it's strange for him that Marc Wauters
and Erik Dekker won't be there anymore (both riders retired) but that he is happy that Koos Moerenhout, Leon Van Bon and Max
Van Heeswijk will come back to the Rabo squad. Boogerd also expects Thomas Dekker to develope further
in the next season, Dekker crashed and broke his hand after coming back from a virus infection. Before his health problems
Thomas Dekker won the 2006 Tirreno-Adriatico.
|
| Thomas Dekker during the Tour of Germany (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
Marcus Burghardt: "Bike-handling skills are crucial"
In 2005, Marcus Burghardt was the T-Mobile squad’s youngest rider. Next season, however, the now 23-year
old will be just one of many young guns among the magentas. The lanky German has been on his bike since September already
in order to build up basic stamina and be in top shape for the 2007 spring season. "I was injured for a long time, so I don’t
need a time-out any more“, he says.
Burghardt’s tried and tested tool to keep the routine of tough training
in the winter from getting boring is his cross bike. Though his surprising second place at a cyclo-cross race close to his
former home town Chemnitz shows the T-Mobile pro is no slouch offroad either, he stresses: "The fun factor is clearly the
most important thing for me. Riding in the forest is great and more liberating than riding on roads. I will continue to slot
cyclo-cross rides in my training schedule, even though I’m no longer living in the Erzgebirge“.
New home
base in Switzerland
Due to better training conditions, Burghardt moved to Switzerland – the small village of Auenstein
between Zurich and Basel. "I’ve been living here since September 1 together with my girlfriend and we both feel very
comfortable here“. His former team mate Steffen Wesemann lives close by. "Steffen joins me on training rides every now
and then. I haven’t asked him yet if he’d like to give cyclo-cross a shot, though. Anyways, cross is fun even
when you’re doing it alone.”
With Wesemann he shares a passion for the legendary Paris-Roubaix classic:
"The ‘Hell of the North’ inspired me already as a teenager”, says Burghardt. At this race with its infamous
cobbles, the bike handling skills are essential. “That’s also important in cyclo-cross. And I benefit from that,
particularly in races like Paris-Roubaix“.
Useful cyclo-cross skills
Jumping on and off the bike at full
speed and running with the bike shouldered is something he learnt already as a youth in his cycling club. “That was
part of our basics training and now helps me in cyclo-cross races. And that’s maybe also the reason why I never suffered
any serious injuries on the road,” Burghardt muses.
The T-Mobile sporting management have no reservations about
his hobby: “I cleared that with Rolf Aldag”, Burghardt says. “He told me to be careful and that we should
be responsible with our bodies”. There’s a higher injury risk in cross racing, but Burghardt puts it into perspective:
“Of course, you have to be watchful, for example when going over tree roots. I tend to slow down the pace.“
However,
Burghardt’s ambitions on the cross bike are considerably weaker than those for road racing. Also, as he claims, he lacks
the professional environment required for competing in cyclo-cross races: “I would not only need a training group, but
also a mechanic of my own to prepare my second bike me during the race.”
Smaller races in the winter
Notwithstanding
the fun aspect, Burghardt stresses the importance of a professional approach to his job. "Buidling up basic stamina is absolutely
essential. Of approximately 16 hours of training per week, only one hour is devoted to cyclos-cross training. This way, I
don’t run any risk of lessening the endurance training effects."
Burghardt plans on competing in some smaller
races during the winter months again. “These races aren’t as tough as the top events, which are starting now.
They only last one hour. You quickly recover from that.”
Source: T-Mobile
|
| Marcus Burghardt (T-Mobile) during this years Omloop Het Volk (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
|
