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08.12.2006/ Rujano to Unibet.com, Bettini:
"If they ask me for my DNA, I'm ready to call time on my career.", Fuji Bicycles to sponsor Toyota-United pro
cycling team, Constantino Zaballa free to ride, Robbie
McEwen to the Tour Down Under, Ullrich: "I will come back!"
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Isaac Galvez dies after crash at Sixdays in Gent
Doping-Protest.com: "163,193 kilometres have been ridden as a protest"
Vinokourov: "If they don't want us in the Pro-Tour, then it's their problem"
Route details of the Amgen Tour of California 2007
UCI : Ullrich can ride just as Basso can
Rujano to Unibet.com
Yesterday we reported thet José Rujano is close to sign a contract with Unibet.com, a few hours later the team announced they hadsigned Rujano. The
24 year-old Venezuelan signed a contract for two seasons w ith the new ProTour team.
“Rujano will definitely
be our team leader in the big tours. He’s got the ability to compete with the world’s best climbers”, says
Sports Director Jacques Hanegraaf of Unibet.com. “Rujano is very ambitious and wants to race the Giro d’Italia
as well as the Tour de France, but we’ll make up his race programme later on!”
Rujano rode an impressive
Tour of Italy in 2005. In that Giro d’Italia, the small Venezuelan won a tough mountain stage and eventually finished
third in the general classification. This year, José Rujano competed with Quickstep-Innergetic.
Bettini: "If they ask me for my DNA, I'm ready to call time on
my career."
Current road race world champion Paolo Bettini would rather
quit cycling than have to give a DNA sample. Betini told Italian newsagency ANSA: "If they ask me for my DNA, I'm ready to
call time on my career. I've already won a lot," Bettini said. Bettini stated that in some cases he could understand
the agreement between most Pro-Tour teams about DNA testing, but it would not really help the fight against doping,
Bettini said:"Cyclists who are found to have bags of
blood at their home should be asked to produce a DNA sample. If they say the
blood isn't theirs it's best to proceed with DNA tests. But otherwise it's not a measure that helps the fight against drugs."
Bettini also had a few words for Ivan Basso: "Why didn't Basso agree to give
his DNA while the Spanish investigation into doping was going on?" Bettini continued by saying: "He only did it
after having signed with Discovery and after having known that the Guardia Civil was not going to deliver the bags of
blood which are in its possession."
Bettini continued :"In October, when I had declared that I was against DNA
tests, the first message which I received on my cell phone came from Ivan Basso. He complimented me on my stand. Twenty days
later, he changed his mind and gave his approval to test DNA."
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| Bettini: "If they ask me for my DNA, I'm ready to call time on my career." (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
Fuji Bicycles to sponsor Toyota-United pro cycling team
The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team and United Bicycles, LLC., today announced
an exclusive sponsorship and licensing agreement with Fuji Bicycles/Advanced Sports Inc., (ASI) manufacturer and distributor
of Fuji Bicycles, a global brand with over 40 international distributors.
As part of the multi-year agreement, the
Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team will be racing on Fuji carbon frames with graphics and design featuring Toyota-United colors.
The Fuji-United bicycle will be the official team issue bicycle of the Toyota-United Pro Cycling team during the 2007-2008
racing seasons. The deal marks Fuji’s first sponsorship of a top U.S. men’s professional cycling team
since 2002.
“Fuji is ready to jump back into professional men’s racing and
showcase our premium carbon road bikes,” said Patrick Cunnane, ASI President. “We are excited to once again sponsor
a top professional men’s cycling team in the U.S., especially one as successful as the Toyota-United team which includes
such experienced riders as Chris Wherry and Henk Vogels.”
The new 2007 Fuji-United Team Issue bike features a full monocoque carbon
C7 frame, Shimano gruppo, and components and wheels by Bontrager. Additionally, some Toyota-United riders will
race Fuji’s new SL-1, a uniquely designed frameset made of C10 carbon that weighs only 890 grams. For time trials,
the team will use Fuji’s Aloha CF. The bikes will make their official debut during the first race of the season at the
2007 Amgen Tour of California February 18-25th.
In addition to Fuji’s sponsorship of the Toyota-United
Pro Cycling Team, Advanced Sports, Inc., distributors of Fuji Bikes, has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with United
Bicycles, LLC., to sell United brand bicycles in the United States. As part of the agreement, ASI will work closely
with United Bicycles, LLC., and the Toyota-United team to distribute and extend the line of United bicycles currently offered
to the public.
Fuji-United Team Issue bikes will be available for purchase exclusively at Fuji authorized dealers
in the United States beginning summer of 2007. Each bicycle will be an exact replica of the official Team Issue bike
used by the Toyota-United Pro Cycling team.
More information about the extended line of bicycles to be offered by
ASI and United Bicycles will be announced in early 2007.
“We are thrilled to partner with ASI which owns and
distributes Fuji Bicycles, a legendary name in cycling, to develop the United Bicycles brand and make our bike available to
avid cyclists everywhere. This year United Bicycles established a reputation as a high-performance racing bike,
helping our team garner over 55 wins,” said Team Owner and President of United Bicycles Sean Tucker. “With this
licensing and distribution agreement, we look forward to making the United brand available to the masses at various price
points with a goal of making United Bicycles a viable brand in the USA.”
Read also: Toyota-United set a fast pace to become a dominant force in U.S. Cycling in its
first season
Constantino Zaballa free to ride
Constatino Zaballa who was allegedly involved in the Fuentes doping case wants to race again for the Caisse
d'Epargne team. Zaballa's case was closed by the Spanish cycling federation in October and said about returning in the peloton:
"Why not? I am a free man now. There is nothing pleading against me. I just want to come back and do my job normally again
because what I have gone through was a nightmare."
Robbie McEwen to the Tour Down Under
Winner of the coveted green jersey at the Tour de France, and the
inaugural winner of the Down Under Classic Robbie McEwen will return to the Tour Down Under in January with his team Predictor-Lotto.
Robbie has won more stages than any other rider at the TDU (11) and is looking to add to this tally in 2007.
Also returning to the TDU in 2007 will be American Cycling Team,
Navigators Insurance, with 4 Aussies riding for them.
Making their Tour Down Under debut will be Barloworld, with South
African sprinter Robert Hunter expected to challenge McEwen's sprint supremacy.
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| Robbie McEwen at this years Tour de France (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
Ullrich: "I will come back!"
German rider Jan Ullrich told German tabloid Bild in a homestory that he
will return to racing. Ullrich said: "I will return. Where and when is not decided yet. Whether a Pro-Tour team or not,
Wheter Tour or Gito." According to Bild the 1997 Tour de France winner speaks with fire in his eyes: "I will race again! Those
who accuse me won't win. I'll come back!"
Ullrich's wife, Sara Ullrich told Bild: " We have had a bad time. Jan fell
into a deep hole after his suspension. " Sara Ullrich continued by saying: "For four weeks he could not think clear. Jan was
very sad because suddenly nobody sticked to him anymore. All convicted him, almost nobody remained neutral."
Meanwhile Olew Tinkov told Belgian daily sports sportwereld.be during the
Tinkoff training camp in Riccione (Italy) that his door is still open for Ullrich. "But he will have to reduce his price."
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| Olew Tinkoff keeps the door open for Ullrich (picture: Tinkoff team) |
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