Vuelta president: the solution is that Verbruggen dissapears

According to Spanish daily sports as.com, president of Unipublic (the organizer of the Vuelta Espana) Ignacio Ayuso thinks that the solution of the current problems about the Pro-Tour could be solved when former UCI president Hein Verbruggen would dissapear. Ayuso told as.com: "In March of this year representatives of our organisations, riders, teams and the UCI reached an agreement to modify the Pro-Tour. But Verbruggen vetoed because he only likes what he orders. The solution for this conflict is that Verbruggen dissapears, because he is the one who makes this threads, McQuaid (current UCI president) and Rumpf are just his puppets."

The remarks of Ignacio Ayuso came after the UCI threatened to shorten the Vuelta with a week in order to create space on the calender so the Tour of Germany can take place in September as well.  The grand tour organizers announced earlier this year they are no longer part of the Pro-Tour and a split between the UCI and the grand tour organizers could be the outcome. Ayuso said a split “would not be the best solution”.  But the grand tour organizers would take "measures" if they have to.

McEwen won GP Southbank

Robbie McEwen won Sunday's GP South Bank, better known as the unofficial Australian sprintchampionship.

Van Huffel happy with Giro route

Belgian rider Wim Van Huffel was 11th in the overall of the Giro d'Italia in 2005. The Belgian rider is very happy with the route for nex years Giro d'Italia and told Belgian daily sports sportwereld.be: "A Giro made for climbers. Very Italian." Wim Van Huffel will be captain for the Predictor-Lotto (the former Davitamon-Lotto team) in next years Giro: "At the Tour I will work for Cadel Evans but in the Giro I will be allowed to go for my own chances. I want a top ten spot. If I say top twenty I would make it to easy for myself."

The 2007 Giro will start with a 24 kilometers long team time trial: "24 tough kilometers," Van Huffel said. "I don't like that discipline. But in this years Giro there was a team trial as well and I lost only one minute. I hope that I can count on strong riders like Bert Roesems and Jurgen Van Den Broeck."  There only will be 43 kilometers individual time trial kilometers with a flat course: "Still enough to lose three or four minutes on the winner of the time trail," Van Huffel said.

The mountain time trail will be an advantage for Van Huffel. About the amount of mountain stages Van Huffel said:"That's not new. That is why I can score the most at the Giro. On the scale of difficulty I would put this Giro on the same spot as the 2005 edition. This years edition was tougher than it usually is. In the final week we were all on our last legs. Except for Basso, what I still can't understand. The Giro 2007 looks more human though."

10th Oetingse MTB happening

On Sunday December 10 the 10th Oetingse MTB happening will take place in the Belgium city of Oetingen. Riders who want to participate can choose between distance of 28 and 43 kilometers offroad with an ascent of 474 meters and a descent of 460 meters. Last year Eddy Merckx started at the MTB happening. The starting fee is Euro 1,75 for BBR members and Euro 3,00 for non-memebers. Participants can start between 08.00 and 11.00 in the morning. It is possible to rent mountainbikes at bikeshop "De Spaak" (Gooik) tel. +32 (02) 532 32 02 21. More information at: http://www.bikeslippers.be/infohappening2006.htm

Damsgaard about DNA testing: "At the very least, it is an insult against the riders and ethically depraved"

During the weekend, Gerolsteiner manager Hans Holczer told German news agency DPA that he doubts that Ivan Basso will be allowed to start at the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France next year. Holczer said: "It's just not going to be as simple as it seems." Holczer continued by saying:  "I don't really want to comment on Basso's statements and prospects. I continue to assume that no rider will be allowed to start in any ProTour race unless he has made a DNA test, as the team managers agreed in Salzburg." Holczer told DPA that the Pro-Tour teams would discuss the matter further:"We will meet before the end of the year and discuss this again." 

But at least two teams, Discovery Channel and CSC, voted against DNA testing for the riders. Danish anti-doping campaigner Rasmus Damgaarden, who will work with the CSC squad in 2007, told Dainsh daily newspaper B.T on October 27: "I think it is completely absurd that the riders will be forced to sign a non-binding contract that forces DNA testing", Damsgaard said. "Although I haven't seen the contracts, I would judge that we are dealing with an abrogation of the rider's legal rights. At the very least, it is an insult against the riders and ethically depraved that they, as employees in a company, are forced to submit to a DNA test at the whims of their DS."

The discussion is controversial as DNA testing has it's place in criminal investigations but several team managers want to go further as the laws of most countries will allow. Several scientists explained in the last couple of months that you can not detect doping substances in a DNA sample, it can only be used in  criminal investigations in countries with an anti-doping law, for example to compare blood bags. In the Fuentes affaire this is not the case, since Spanish authorities are not investigating the riders as the anti-doping law is not in effect yet.

Vicioso to GAM-Relax

According to Sapnish daily newspaper Diario Vasco Angel Vicioso will race for the Spanish GAM-Relax team. The 29 year old rider started his professional career in 1999 and has won stages at the Tour of Switzerland, the Tour of Basque country and the Tour of Catalunya. Vicioso was one of the riders who was allegedly involved with the Fuentes affaire and comes from the Liberty Seguros squad. Earlier the pro-continental GAM - Relax squad signed Santiago Perez and Julian Sanchez. The signing of Francisco Mancebo and Luis Perez are not confirmed by the team. 

According to cyclingnews.com Mancebo reached a deal about the termination of his contract with the French AG2R squad and his manager David Plaza is negotiating with various teams. One of these teams is GAM-Relax.

A new humanitarian project for Saunier Duval´s 100th anniversary

The team raced the 2006 season in support of the 30 fundamental Human Rights around the world. Next year is the team´s main sponsor 100th anniversary, and the Saunier Duval - Prodir team will celebrate it in a remarkable way as a token of their gratitude to Saunier Duval, which is not only supporting the team but cycling in general as well. Is there any better way to do it than becoming involved in an initiative aimed at saving our planet?

The project, to be carried out thanks to the support of Planète Urgence, has been named "100 years for a million trees". Saunier Duval has agreed to plant one new tree in Mali for every kilometre raced by the team. The African country is fighting desertification, which has already affected 65% surface area. The team´s 28 riders will be part of this ambitious and challenging project: racing 1 million kilometres in 2007. Moreover, each kilometre raced in breakaways will be worth double, and they will go up five times in the case of victories.

Those team followers who win a contest will be lucky enough to help accomplish this goal. The first tree in Mali will be planted next January in Mopti, on the occasion of a solidarity race. The Saunier Duval - Prodir team will compete with the best African riders. On February 1, the official Saunier Duval celebration day, the page "100 years for 1 million trees" will be launched at www.saunierduval-prodir.com , including all the project´s details.