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23.10.2006/ Cauberg Clinic: Professional cyclist for a day, Bettini wins
in Valencia, Cross: Nys also takes second world cup race, Team Milram weddings, Il Falco starts at Red Bull Road Rage, Cross: no more Stevens Racing Team, Cross: no more Stevens Racing Team, Health Net Pro Cycling
Team Presented by Maxxis Rooster 2007
New: Picture gallery Tour of Lombardy 2006
Massak: "I will license him"
Cauberg Clinic: Professional cyclist for a day
“If things will work out for the best the Cauberg Clinic will be a terrific event for the participators”.
as Rabo ProTeam’s Bram de Groot noted. "And I believe the circumstances where great the last two days. The people will
talk about this event for many years as it is quite a happening for them to ride along professional cyclists and moreover
the conditions where perfect.” On Friday 20th and Saturday 21th of October, for another year, hundreds of fanatics
took part in the clinic organized by the Rabobank with the assistance of the Rabo cycling teams. “There are even cyclists
who come back every year, the real diehards, but for most of them this was the first time and those are the ones who are truly
amazed.”
All the cyclists and managers of the Rabo ProTeam and the Rabo Continental Team assisted in this clinic these
two days. The contenders where split up in groups of about fifteen people and each group was guided by two Rabo’s of
the ProTeam, one of the Continental Team and a following car with, among others, Erik Breukink and Adrie van der Poel. Challenger
Bert Treep was driving along a group which was assisted by Erik Dekker and Pedro Horillo: “To my feeling this group
was making too much pace as within fifteen minutes we had overtaken two other groups, therefore as we came to the third group
I decided to join that squad.” It appeared to be the one guided by Bram de Groot. “Here things were a bit at ease
and all the Rabo assistants were willing to help you, therefore I was able to make it to the top of the Cauberg. Overall it
has been a marvelous experience as everything was perfectly organized.”
Also Wietse van Alten
Another participator was a familiar one, archer Wietse van Alten. He was the first
prominent competitor to reach the top of Alpe d’Huez in the clinic earlier this year (one hour, nineteen seconds). However
he didn’t do as well on the Cauberg. “I just returned after an eleven-day holiday and thus I had to make a real
effort this time. So as we were timed at the Cauberg I wasn’t able to make a difference but the most important thing
is that I had a great day and that was the whole purpose of this event. I will be pleased as I hit the showers.”
As said before team manager Erik Breukink took place in a following car guiding a group of challengers and
also he was satisfied about the event. “The weather was working along as we didn’t have any rain which is always
a pleasant occurrence. Besides I have had many positive responds of the people participating and I believe that every one
has had a wonderful experience. What I did throughout the day? Change several tires, take an eye on the formation and make
sure the group stays together which is quite a difficult task as the pace differs a lot between the cyclists.”
No one wants to miss the closing event
It appears that the Cauberg Clinic is a great experience for those
participating but the event is also the closing day of the season, to which all the cyclists and team managers look forward
to. This is one of the rare occasions and perhaps the only one in which all the members of the Rabo Teams are together in
one place, so also the foreign top-class professionals like Oscar Freire. Despite the fact his back hasn’t entirely
recovered the Spaniard didn’t want to miss these two days. On Friday he took place in a following car and on Sunday
Freire assisted photographer Cor Vos. The little man from Spain was also firmly taking picture of those trying to get to the
top of the Cauberg as he explains that “photographing is a hobby which I love very much. I take pictures of nature and
people, and individuals on a bike just give an extra dimension. However I don’t believe that I am that good to make
a living out of it after my career as a cyclist.”
The explosive man who has won two stages in the Tour the France this year truly enjoyed the traditional closing
dinner of the Rabo Pro Team and the Continental Team on Friday. “It is an important moment as it is one of the rare
occasions in which everyone is together. For now I hope that the winter will give me plenty of time to recover to be in great
shape again next year.” Also Breukink had enjoyed the gathering, “it is just a nice happening as everything is
quite casual so therefore I didn’t deliver a speech. I will do so at the beginning of the upcoming season. At the moment
I have got the feeling that no one really minds that this season is over as after travelling through Europe for months it
is time to relax. For the time being that is.”
Farewell to three icons
During the celebration dinner there was a moment to honour Joop Zoetemelk who leaves
as manager of the team and to thank Marc Wauters and Erik Dekker who both put an end to their professional career as a cyclist.
Rabo Continental Lars Boom was also there and saw how the three were expressed gratitude by presents and beautiful words.
“I believe this was a proper and nice goodbye for those men”, Boom remarked. During the day the Continental team
member was flooded by questions by the participants who wanted to know everything about the training, gear and a whole lot
more. “Everyone is extremely interested in my sport and then it is nice to explain how it works.”
Also Thomas Dekker assisted a group, it wasn’t one of the fastest but he didn’t mind at all. “Last
Monday the plaster cast was taken of (Dekker broke a bone in his hand, os naviculare last September) so it was a hard day
for me anyway”, Dekker laughed. “However I was able to have a little chat with the people and give them a small
push when needed. Together with Alexander Kolobnev en Joop Zoetemelk I made sure everyone within a group had the time of his
life during the clinic.”
After a warm shower all were invited to have a nice pasta dinner so the challengers could experience how it
is to be a professional cyclist. Definitely again, as they were eating their meal you could see most of them think, definitely
again next year…
Bettini wins in Valencia
Paolo Bettini has won the XVII Criterium Ciudad de Valencia-G. P. CAM. The road world champion was faster
as his main rivals Oscar Pereiro (Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears), Giovanni Lombardi (CSC) and David Etxebarria (Astana).
For Giovanni Lombardi it was the last race of his career, the Italian rider of the CSC squad retired.
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| Paolo Bettini (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
Cross: Nys also takes second world cup race
Sven Nys has won the second cros world cup race on Sunday. It was the third time in a row Nys won the
cross race in Kalmhout, Belgium and his 30th world cup race win of his career. Francis Mourey (fdjeux.com) who attacked together
with Nys out of a leading group came in second after Nys attacked in the final lap.
Team Milram weddings
Team Milram riders Christian Knees and Björn Schröder finished their first
year in Team Milram with one victory and their first participation in Tour de France. Today both riders expected their biggest
challange of this year: Their weddings. Christian Knees and his wife Nathalie, who married at registry office on 13th of October
2006 celebrated their marriage in the St. Ulrich church in Sindorf today. After the service the wedding-party took place in
the castle Burghausen. Biggest wish of the young couple: Honeymoon in the Caribbean. There the two will relax outside the
cycling season.
The second wedding was celebrated in Berlin. Björn Schröder and his wife Peggy celebrated their marriage
at the registry office in the cerner of Berlin. After that the couple will spend their honeymoon in Gran Canaria. After the
honeymoon Björn, Peggy and their son will travel for one week on Aida cruise ship together with his team mates Erik Zabel
and Enrico Poitschke. The three riders will do cycling tours on different Atlantic Islands with sport fans.
Il Falco starts at Red Bull Road Rage
On November 11th, the worlds best cyclists will return
to Tuna Canyon in Malibu, California for another chance to prove they are the fastest descent rider on the planet. Last year’s inaugural winner and former world downhill mountain bike champion Myles Rockwell will be back to defend his title against all comers.
The riders invited
to try and dethrone Rockwell at the 2006 Red Bull Road Rage include a list of the top descent riders from all riding backgrounds: Freddie Rodriguez, Cedric Gracia, Steve Peat, Greg Minaar, Steve Tilford, Dave Cullinan, and Fabien Barelare a few new names invited in 2006 as well as returns from last
years warriors like runner up and speed trap
winner Dave McCook and Brian Lopes. Other riders high on the invitation list are "Il Falco" - Paolo Savoldelli - and John Tomac. After the success of last years event, rider interest is very high and invitations will be
hard to come by, so look for a field of the
very best names at this year’s race.
Expect to see many
of the exciting features that made last year’s race a huge thrill foreveryone involved. Full face helmets, disc brakes and pads will be back on a road bike to take the 2 mile course with its 2,000 foot elevation drop, cliff-hanging berms and
180 degree turns at speeds of up to 60 mph.
Red Bull Road Rage
will consist of two race formats: Time Trials, where individuals race against the clock; and Pack Race, a bordercross-style race format, where the top 16 riders from the Time Trial will be placed into 4 man heats and throw it on the line.
The top two riders in each heat will advance
through the bracket and after three trips down the
hill, a champion will be crowned.
For more information
and an up to date athlete list visit www.redbullroadrage.com
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| "Il Falco" - Paolo Savoldelli (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
Cross: no more Stevens Racing Team
After the doping scandal in which the Stevens Racing Team
is allegedly involved, team manager Werner Von hacht anounced on Sunday that he will disband the team. German National cross
champion Johannes Sickmüller of the Stevens Racing Team is alegedly involved in a doping case and former team doctor Steinmeier
is under investigation by the German police as he is accused of providing several athletes with perfomance enchancing drugs.
Several houses and offices were raided two weeks ago by Hamburg police. The doctor of the doping control at last years
German national cross champion ships on January 8 was replaced by the team doctor of Stevens Racing team and the German cycling
federation suspects that the urin probe of German national cross champion Johannes Sickmüller was manipulated. It's unknown
why the German cycling federation not reacted untill German newspapers published a story about the case two weeks ago.
Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis Rooster 2007
2007 will not be a re-building year for the Health Net Pro Cycling Team
Presented by Maxxis. "It will be more like a re-birth," states Team Directeur Sportif Jeff Corbett, noting that the re-shaped
squad will more resemble the first two NRC championship teams of 2004 and 2005. "We're going to have a lot of big, powerful
guys on the squad. You're going to see a lot less 52 cm Cannondales underneath our guys this year."
With the departure of long-time veterans Gord Fraser, Mike Sayers and Scott
Moninger, the team will see a youth movement in 2007. "Our oldest guy will be Nathan O'Neill," Corbett said, "and he'll only
be 32."
But there will be no sacrifice in experience.
The Team has signed two big, young but experienced engines from the Pro Tour
ranks: Canadian Ryder Hesjedal from Phonak and Australian Rory Sutherland, previously of Rabobank.
"Both guys have started and finished grand tours, and they have a lot of experience
racing at the top level in Europe," Corbett said.
Hesjedal, who turned 26 in September, finished 4th overall at the Volta a
Cataluna and 17th overall at the Dauphine Libere, both Pro Tour races. He rode the Vuelta e Espana this year, and was part
of Discovery Channel's 2005 Giro d'Italia-winning team. He is also a seven-time world mountain biking championships medalist.
"He's a good time trialist and a strong climber," Corbett said. "He and Nathan will provide a good two-pronged GC attack."
Sutherland rode his way up through the ranks at Rabobank, spending two years
on their DIII development squad, where he was a teammate of Hesjedal in 2003, before moving up to the big squad in 2005. He
also rode the Giro in 2005, and had his best result at the Tour of Denmark, where he finished 3rd overall and won the Best
Young Rider jersey. "He can do a bit of everything," Corbett noted. "He TTs well, and is good at hard, selective one-day and
stage races." Sutherland was suspended and sacked by Rabobank after he tested positive during the Tour of Germany in 2005.
Also coming over from Europe is 2005 British National Road Race Champion Russell
Downing from the DFL-Cyclingnews squad. "He's another tough guy who has paid his dues racing in Europe," Corbett said. This
year, he finished in the top 10 in nearly every stage of the Tour of Britain, including one 3rd place, while finishing 9th
overall and second in the points competition. He also won a stage of Tryptique Ardennes.
Additionally, Health Net Presented by Maxxis signed an up-and-coming rider
from Navigators Insurance, Shawn Milne, who placed 10th this year in the NRC individual standings. "He's a strong guy with
a very good finishing sprint," Corbett said. In 2005, he was knocking on the door with good results at Nature Valley Grand
Prix. In 2006, he broke through with big wins at the Bank of America Charlotte Criterium and the Univest Grand Prix. He also
won two stages and the overall of the notoriously difficult Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic. Milne, who turns 25 in November, also
rode for the U.S. U23 national team and has been a U23 world championship team member.
The Team is also adding another veteran strong-man in Frank Pipp, who comes
over from Target Training. Pipp showed his strength with a stage win and 7th overall finish at the International Tour de 'Toona,
while finishing the year 20th in the NRC individual rankings. "He's similar to Kirk O'Bee in that he's good in the breaks,
can sprint well and is a solid lead-out guy," Corbett said. "He can be up there at a race like the USPRO Criterium Championship
and still do well on GC at races like Nature Valley and 'Toona." Despite 2006 being only his second year as a pro, Pipp brought
a lot of leadership to his squad. He was a teammate of Karl Menzies in 2005, riding for Advantage Benefits/Endeavor, the year
that also saw him win the sprints competition at International Superweek.
Two members of the U.S. U23 squad round out the new signings for 2007. Corbett
considers them both as more developmental riders, yet, despite their young ages, John Murphy and Matt Crane have been getting
plenty of experience racing at a high level in Europe. Murphy, who Corbett says is built much like Menzies, is another big
kid with a big diesel. "He's solid, with a good sprint finish as well." Murphy has finished in the top 20 of the past two
Paris-Roubaix Espoirs races. He has already gotten a taste of racing with Health Net Presented by Maxxis, joining the squad
for the Jayco Herald SunTour this month, where he helped Menzies to a 7th overall finish.
Crane is more of an all-arounder who is a good time trialist. "Matt is looking
forward to working with Nathan on his time trialing," Corbett noted. He's had good results in the past at Fitchburg and 'Toona.
Transformation Complete
With the departure of Sayers and Fraser, no riders remain from the Team's
inaugural 2003 season. And with Greg Henderson leaving for T-Mobile, the 2007 Team will not have a rider from the 2004 NRC
championship Team. Only Doug Ollerenshaw returns from the 2005 championship Team.
For 2007, the Team will still be led by team captain and super-domestique
Tim Johnson. Johnson's palmares doesn't reflect the contribution he made toward the team winning its 3rd consecutive NRC crown
in 2006. His work was instrumental in delivering any number of big wins, including Henderson's victory in Philadelphia. Instead,
Johnson is once again posting strong results in cyclocross, with four wins already this fall in a discipline in which he's
been a three-time national champion.
Karl Menzies returns with a vengeance after narrowly missing out on the 2006
NRC individual crown, finishing 17 points behind Floyd Landis (Phonak). Kirk O'Bee comes back looking to produce more strong
results both domestically and in Europe, while Kyle Gritters will continue to develop as a sprinter and classics rider.
The Team's leading stage-race threat, Nathan O'Neill, returns after finishing
4th in the NRC standings, earning 5th overall at the Amgen Tour of California and 7th overall at the Tour de Georgia.
In addition to Ollerenshaw, the Team returns two more strong stage racers
in Jeff Louder and Roman Kilun. Louder finished second overall at the Cascade Classic, though he was tied on time for first,
and finished third overall in the Tour of Utah to teammate Moninger. Kilun, another of the team's younger riders, gained valuable
experience in 2006, and was instrumental in O'Neill's overall title at the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic in June.
The complete 2007 Health Net Presented by Maxxis roster: New for 2007
Matt Crane, USA, U.S. U23 National Team
Russell Downing, GBr, DFL-Cyclingnews.com
Ryder
Hesjedal, CAN, Phonak
Shawn Milne, USA, Navigators Insurance
John Murphy, USA, U.S. U23 National Team
Frank Pipp,
USA, Target Training
Rory Sutherland, AUS, Rabobank
staying in 2007
Kyle Gritters, USA
Tim Johnson,
USA
Roman Kilun, USA
Jeff Louder, USA
Karl Menzies, TAS
Kirk O'Bee, USA
Doug Ollerenshaw, USA
Nathan O'Neill,
AUS
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