|
18.11.2006/ Andreas Klier: "I’m looking forward
to New Year’s Eve", Landis case: “There is no basis for a positive test in the first place", No Pompeiana
at Milano-San Remo 2007
"Jan Ullrich is not the garbage dump of a whole nation"
New: Michael Boogerd at a loss in soap-opera
Andreas Klier: "I’m looking forward to New Year’s Eve"
Andreas Klier (T-Mobile) wasn't to happy about his performance in the 2006 season. His preparation for the
spring classics was messed up by four crashes during the early season and crash number five messed up his preparation for
the second part of the season. No wonder Klier said: "I’m looking forward to New Year’s Eve".
Klier told t-mobile-team.com: "At the start of the season I set a new personal record. Albeit one, that I
would rather have done without. I hit the tarmac four times at the Trofeo Mallorca and the Ruta del Sol – that was more
crashes during that two week period than in the previous eight years put together! And apart from a few decent results in
the spring, that kind of bad luck haunted me throughout the entire season."
Klier continued by saying: "I only suffered minor injuries in the crashes, but they messed up my form-building
for the classics to such an extent that I totally underperformed at "Het Volk“ and other races. I expected more, to
be honest. And if you can’t put yourself in contention in races like that, then it’s obviously not going to do
your confidence any good."
Klier was out of luck at the Tour of Flanders but did ride a strong race: "At least my form curve was on the
rise in time for GP Harelbeke and Driedaagse van de Panne, the build-up races to "De Ronde“. I was firing-on-all-cylinders
again when I went to the start-line for my season highlight, the Tour of Flanders." About his performance at the Tour
of Flanders Klier said: "I rode a strong race that day – so did the whole team. When Leif Hoste attacked on the Valkenberg,
I deliberately let them open a gap. There was a west wind blowing, which at that point meant the breakaways were riding into
a headwind. Of course you don’t gain metres that fast then. So I saved my attack for the Tenbosse a couple of kilometres
later in Brakel, where we had a tailwind. Unfortunately though, my plan unravelled, since we couldn’t close the gap
to the escapees."
Klier than decided to go for the world championships in Salzburg but crashed again during the first stage
of the Eneco-Tour, and could not start at the world championships: "So was it a bad season for me? You bet it was. But
was it a bad year as well? No way! After all, our daughter Emma was born in January already. She’s healthy, and that’s
worth so much more to me than winning five Classics.”
|
| Andreas Klier during this years Tour of Flanders (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
Landis case: “There is no basis for a positive test in the first
place"
Retired medical doctor and personal friend of Floyd Landis, Dr. Arnie Baker presented a slide-show about
the Landis case on Friday evening at the Tucson (Arizona) Convention Center, headquarters of the El Tour de Tucson race which
will take place today. Dr. Arnie Baker analyzed several documents of the Landis case and in his opinion Floyd Landis did not
test positive at all.
Floyd Landis denies that he took doping substances and is contesting findings that two of his urine samples
showed elevated testosterone to epitestosterone levels during the Tour de France in July, this
years Tour de France was won by the US rider.
Baker told US newsagency Associated Press: “There is no basis for a positive test in the first place.”
Baker continued by saying: “How it got this far in the first place, I have no idea. But I’ve looked at the test,
and to me, it’s appalling.”
During his public presentation of the slide show, Baker took several swipes at the French laboratory Châtenay-Malabry
(LNDD) which analyzed Landis’ urine samples. Displaying documents received from the U.S. Anti-Doping
Agency by Landis’ attorney Howard Jacobs, Baker said both urine samples, not just the “B” sample, were
misidentified several times during the lab’s handling.
The computer system of French laboratory was hacked earlier this month and Baker showed some documents that
were unkown until yesterdays presentation. Baker said that he did not hack the computer system of the French lab: “I
am not the hacker. These documents have been out there for more than a month,” he said.
Baker, who said he will publish his presentation on his Website
arniecraigcycling.com., also said authorities should be more concerned with the content of the documents than who
made them public.
The hearing of the Floyd Landis case before the disciplinary commission of US cycling
is scheduled for early next year. While Floyd Landis insist in being innocent, the French laboratory claimed that an employee
of the lab only made a "typo" mistake at the label of Landis his urine probe.
No Pompeiana at Milano-San Remo 2007
RCS race director, Angelo Zomegnan told Belgian daily
newspaper La Dernière Heure that the final part of the 2007 edition of San Remo will be similar to this years edition. There
were rumours that the Cipressa would be replaced by the more selective Pompeiana but Zomegnan denied the rumours.
Zomegnan told La Dernière Heure: "This is not the
moment to come forward with spectaculair renewals. We will celebrate the 100th edition of La Primavera in 2007 and it
is planned to race the traditional course with the Turchino, Capi, Cipressa and Poggio."
This year the race was won by Filippo Pozzato (Quickstep).
|
| Filippo Pozzato during this years Züri Metzgete (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
|
