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31.10.2006/ Marc Biver: "It's surreal", Another honour
for Erik Zabel, Gerrit Glomser renewed with Volksbank, Tinkoff rooster for 2007 - interested in Ullrich, Fear for compensation
claims, Zabel and Risi still leading Dortmund sixdays
New: Picture gallery Tour of Lombardy 2006
New: Doping in Cycling - One Fans Point of View
New: Hasslacher: "first rate pre-judgement"
Marc Biver: "It's surreal"
In an interview with French daily sports l'Equipe Astana manager Marc Biver said that the decision to give
Manolo Saiz a Pro-Tour license is "surreal". Biver continued by saying that he had “the impression that there are people
in the UCI who are protecting Saiz”. Biver explained l'Equipe that it was the UCI itself that had adviced the Astana
manager not to buy the Pro-Tour license held by Active Bay, the company that's co-owned by Manolo Saiz. Biver wanted to buy
the Pro-Tour license of Manolo Saiz to secure a place for the new Astana squadamong cycling's elite. Biver has signed 27 riders,
among them stars like Paolo Savoldelli and Andreas Klöden. “Now we find that Saiz is still in the game, it’s surreal,” Biver
stated.
According to Biver, Manolo Saiz has called Alexander Vinokourov and Andrey Kashechin to remind the two that
they still have a contract with Active Bay.
Manolo Saiz also reacted on the news that the former Liberty Seguros can keep his license. Saiz told Spanish
national radio that he is planning: “to move forwards and do no more than that”.
Another honour for Erik Zabel
Erik Zabel received another honour this weekend. At the Dortmund Sixdays race, the 36 year-old MILRAM rider
was awarded the sport teachers’ medal of North Rhine-Westphalia.
NRW Minister of the Interior, Ingo Wolf, prized
Zabel’s silver medal at the World Championships in Salzburg and emphasized that Zabel was a great role model for cycling-enthusiastic
people.
Gerrit Glomser renewed with Volksbank
The 2005 Austrian national champion Gerrit Glomser renewed his contract with Austrian pro continental
team Volksbank. Glomser will race at least another year for the team.
Tinkoff rooster for 2007 - interested in Ullrich
The Russian/Italian pro continental team announced it's rooster for 2007. Although Tyler Hamilton was
linked with the team, the US rider is not on the announced rooster. Today Tinkoff announced also that the team is interested
in signing Jan Ullrich. The riders which are already signed by the Tinkoff squad are: Elia Aggiano, Pavel Brutt, Ilya Chernetsky, Salvatore Commesso, Daniele Contrini, Danilo Hondo, Sergey Klimov, Mikhail
Ignatyev, Ruggero Marzoli, Anton Mindlin, Ivan Rovny, Alexander Serov, Ricardo Serrano Gonzalez, Nikolay Trusov, Steffen Weigold.
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| Danilo Hondo signed with Tinkoff (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
Fear for compensation claims
After Jan Ullrich stated that he might sue for compensation on October 19, Santiago Botero told El Colombiano
that he might sue Phonak for compensation: "I think that they must pay all the money that they owe me, because they did not
allow me to compete on the basis of presumptions." If Botero really start a case and would win for court,
the team managers have a new problem. The ethical code could get very expensive. Marc Sergeant, team manager of Davitamon-Lotto
told sportwereld.be: "I am very happy that i don't have any rider who is linked with Operación Puerto," admitted Sergeant,
"the team manager who had took their responsibility. A brave action, everybody agreed about that. But how the juridical judgement
will be? Look, i don't have an answer for that." The team managers are getting nervous after 5 Spanish riders filed a complain
against the ethical code while riders like Oscar Sevilla and Santiago Botero demand compensation. Sergeant: "When a riders
is named in a doping case and isn't suspended by the team, it's a violation against the charter (he meant the etical code)
and the team risks it's Pro-Tour license. Who does risks juridical consequenses. Before court everybody remains innocent untill
he is proofen guilty."
Sergeant conluded by saying that there are also questions about the juridical aspect of the DNA tests which are demanded
by the teams.
Zabel and Risi still leading Dortmund sixdays
Erik Zabel and Bruno Risi kept the lead at the fifth night of the Dortmund six days. Zabel and Risi have
253 points now. Guido Fulst and Leif Lampater are one round behind with 209 points and Danny Stam and Andreas Beikirch
are two rounds behind with 160 points.
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