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06.12.2006/ Jørgen V. Pedersen New Team CSC Sports Director, Team time
trail at Tour of Qatar, Thomas Dekker in South Africa, Steegmans: "As devastating like the Hiroshima bomb"
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Jørgen V. Pedersen New Team CSC Sports Director
Next year Jørgen V. Pedersen will be Sports Director at Team CSC. The former stage
winner and Yellow Jersey holder in the Tour de France is currently Key Account Manager at Riis Cycling and among other things
responsible for the team's Italian sponsor Nobili.
”I still like professional cycling a lot, and when Bjarne
one year ago gave me the opportunity to work with the sponsors, I said yes right away. I've been away from the sport for quite
a while, but I've really enjoyed becoming a part of Team CSC, and for me it's a very big thing to be appointed as a Sports
Director. I know the employees and the staff and now I'm looking forward to getting to know the riders as well. First of all
I have to learn how to be a Sports Director, but I know I'll be working with the most competent people in the sport of cycling,”
says Jørgen V. Pedersen.
”From day one Jørgen has been an asset to the team, and it's a pleasure for me to appoint
him as a Sports Director. I'm sure he'll be able to use his business experience in his new role on the team and in Jørgen
I believe we've found exactly the right Sports Director,” says Bjarne Riis.
Team Time Trail at Tour of Qatar
The sixth Tour of Qatar, which will take place from the 28th January to the 2nd February 2007, will begin
with an innovation. The first stage, a team time trial of six kilometres in Doha, promises to be an intense induction session
for the champions who have chosen the Qatar as their first race of the cycling season. Over the next five days, the going
will be tough. On the flat and straight routes of Qatar, team tactics will already be in operation. If he is true to his traditional
start of season, Tom Boonen, perhaps accompanied by his new power rider Gert Steegmans, could embark upon a new series of
victories. But there is also every chance that the ex-Belgian world champion will face fierce opposition from the Italian
rider Alessandro Petacchi, eager to test his finish in the Middle East after a season disrupted by injuries in 2006.
A starting block to the cycling season for some, the Tour of Qatar represents for others one of the landmark
events of the year. Hence the Iranian cyclists, who hold the first three places in the Asia Tour continental ranking, are
invited to form a team to challenge Europe?s elite. Similarly, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates will make up a
mixed team determined to follow the pace set by the top professionals.
Stage 1, Sunday 28th January: Corniche Doha (team time trial, 6 km)
Stage 2, Monday 29th January: Al Wakra
? Qatar Olympic Committee (135,5 km)
Stage 3, Tuesday 30th January: Dohat Salwa ? Khalifa Stadium (140 km)
Stage 4,
Wednesday 31st January: Camel Race Track ? Doha Golf Club (139,5 km)
Stage 5, Thursday 1st February: Al Zubarah ? Mesaieed
(160,5 km)
Stage 6, Friday 2nd February: Sealine Beach Resort ? Doha Corniche (134 km)
Thomas Dekker in South Africa
Thomas Dekker arrived for a training camp in South-Africa. Dekker will train with Gerben Löwik, Huub Duyn
and Bas Gilling. Thomas Dekker told tdmagazine.nl: "We did a three hour ride yesterday. Today we start with the real work,
I am looking forward to it. We are with a nice group here and the training circumstances are perfect."
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| Thomas Dekker during this years Eneco-Tour (picture: Oetingse MTB happen) |
Steegmans: "As devastating like the Hiroshima bomb"
Tom Boonen and his new teammate Ger Steegmanns are in Monaco to prepare for
the 2007 season. Boonen told Belgian daily newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws: "I think that the combination Petacchi-Velo is over,"
Boonen said. "Especially when in our team De Jongh and Tossato are physically all right."
A reporter of Het Laatste Nieuws visited Steegmans and Boonen during their
training camp in Monaco, were Boonen lives and Steegmans will move to Monaco as well. Boonen said: Gert is an animal
at the training, just like me. We will kick ass together." Steegmans added: "We could be as devastating like the bomb
on Hiroshima."
Tom Boonen is enthousiastic about his new teammate Gert Steegmans: "Gert was
one of the only riders who really hurted me during the spring." Boonen continued by saying: "Gert has to take over the role
of Nick Nuyens, but he is much better than Nick. He is 10 times more 'coureur'. Without derogating Nicks qualities: he is
a smart rider who won most of all because of the team. Gert does not necessarily needs the team for that," Boonen said.
Steegmans came in the picture as Robbie McEwen's locomotive in this years
Tour de France: "Immediately I recieved offers from the teams of Petacchi and Hushovd," Steegmans said.
About the pressure on Quickstep and asked if that's difficult to handle, Boonen
said: "We will score were we are expected to."
Boonen has no ambition to win Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the future: "If it depends
on me, I will never start." Boonen said he would like to win Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the future, but he does not have this
ambition anymore, Boonen said: "I changed my mind. If I will race Liège-Bastogne-Liège, than I will have to give up the Tour
of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Boonen continued by saying: "These are my races, were I start with some garantie for succes.
Sorry, but I don't wanna do it." Boonen conluded with: "Can you imagine Davide Rebellin or Danilo Di Luca do it the other
way around? They would be crazy. Only the [Amstel] Gold Race will be added at some stage."
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| No Liège-Bastogne-Liège for Tom Boonen (Copyright Citypress) |
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