IPCT talks: official statement from Discovery Channel

Monday December 11, Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team comments on International Pro Cycling Team talks

The International Professional Cycling Teams (IPCT), a business group developed to represent the marketing interests of the UCI Pro Tour Teams but which has no governing authority, met Friday, December 8, in Brussels, Belgium. During this meeting the group discussed Team Discovery Channel’s signing of Ivan Basso. Contrary to a report that the Discovery Channel Team was voted out as a member of the IPCT for this, expulsion did not take place. The discussion by IPCT cited Basso’s signing as a violation of a gentlemen’s agreement regarding the signing of riders implicated in the Operation Puerto affair.

Sports Director Johan Bruyneel was not in attendance, but did have representation at the meeting. Bruyneel stated, “There was no vote on Friday and we have not been expelled from the IPCT. Talk of our removal from the IPCT obviously concerns me on a variety of levels, and we intend to enter into immediate discussions with team representatives about their concerns.”

Team Discovery Channel signed Ivan Basso in November after the Italian Cycling Federation dropped all inquiries into his alleged involvement in the Spanish “Operation Puerto” investigation as well as being cleared by the Italian Olympic Committee. Additionally, UCI President Pat McQuaid told the AFP, "The Italians have closed the files on Basso, and he has been cleared to race. The Spanish have also closed files on riders who have been involved.”

Discovery Channel and Ivan Basso also confirmed last month that under the terms of their contract, the Italian rider had agreed to provide a DNA sample if it is requested.

The Discovery Channel Team has a license to compete as a member of the UCI Pro Tour through 2008. On an annual basis, all Pro Tour Teams are required to register with the UCI and provide a full financial disclosure as a part of the process. Each team is renewed by the UCI upon review of all documents. The Discovery Channel Team has submitted all of the necessary documentation required to renew the Team in 2007 and has received the proper approval from the UCI. “Contrary to what has been written, the discussions surrounding the IPCT group have no effect on our Pro Tour license and we expect to race a full calendar in 2007,” commented General Manager Bill Stapleton.

The IPCT has planned to reconvene on January 11th and Team Discovery Channel will be in attendance.

Voices about IPCT talks

Speaking with cyclingnews.com, Gerolsteiner team manager Hans-Michael Holczer said: "This is a clear signal that the most important representatives of cycling are absolutely serious about the fight to make our sport believable." Holczer calls on race organizers to make a stand against Discovery Channel: "Now the race organisers are on the spot. One important organiser, the representatives of the Deutschland Tour, have already taken a public position in support of the sport," Holczer said.

Rabobank team manager Theo De Rooij commented in Dutch daily newspaper NRC: "We as cycling teams have always known, without knowledge of the complete dossier, that implicated riders like Basso and Ullrich would not walk just like that." De Rooij continued with: "If it comes out that Basso is not involved in anything at the end of the day, I say congratulations. But at the moment I have the feeling that it fits bad. De Rooij continued by saying: "Imagine that Basso wins the Tour next year, and is called to witness one week later. He can't commit perjury and will have to admit that something of him was found in Spain. And then? Cycling already has an enormous image problem. We don't want that kind of risk any more." Theo De Rooij knows that the ehtical charter is controversial : "the ethical charter is based on sand, legally speaking. But it is a mutual agreement in order to put our image problems behind us. Looking back, I still think we made the right decision of taking out the implicated riders from the Tour. But right afterwards, we got the Landis affair of the winner who tested positive. Now, the cycling sport has arrived at a dramatic low."

Speaking about the exclusion of Discovery Channel, T-Mobile's new sports director Rolf Aldag told cyclingnews.com on Sunday: "This decision is an important step and an important signal of the ProTour Teams to stand together in the fight against doping."

Cunego renewed with Lampre

A few Pro-Tour teams tried to sign Damiano Cungeo but the winner of the 2004 edition of the Giro d'Italia renewed his contract with Lampre-Fondital during the Lampre-Fondital training camp in Boario Terme. Cunego will stay with Giuseppe Saronni's team until 2009. The winner of the white jersey in this years Tour de France commented: “I had no doubt," Cunego said. "I ‘m glad to extend the contract with Lampre-Fondital, because of the trust and the reliability of the team. I appreciated the enthusiasm of Galbusera family, of Niboli family and of the other sponsors: I hope I could give them important satisfactions."

Nick Gates won Surfers Paradise Grand Prix

Davitamon-Lotto's  Aussies were at work in the Queensland yesterday for the "Surfers Paradise Grand Prix".

The final of the race was animated by a four-man breakaway, which included our Nick Gates. The peloton was masterly controlled by Robbie McEwen and Henk Vogels, who was racing for the last time in the Davitamon-Lotto colours. Vogels will join Toyota-United in the 2007 season.

The four leaders sprinted at the finish, Nick beating Matt Wilson and Baden Cooke (both Unibet.com),. Vogels finished 9th overall.

Puerto: Contador and Hernandez testified

Alberto Contador and Jesus Hernandez were the first riders that had to testify as a witness before the judge of court 31 in Madrid. Both riders refused to make any statements to the press but according to Spanish Daily sports AS, the interrogation took about 10 minutes for each rider. Jesus Hernandez said he did not know Eufemiano Fuentes and he never saw the Spanish doctor in person. Both riders said they did not receive any type of medication from Eufemiano Fuentes, nor did they see anything strange at the Liberty Seguros team.

However todociclismo.com published a story in which it is written that a Catalan journalist, Sergi López Egea stated, that Jesus Hernandez told the the judge, Antonio Serrano,  that Manolo Saiz controlled everything in the team, medication included.  According to López Egea Hernandez told the judge that he received thermal plaster which were applied to his skin, but Hernandez did not say anything about the content of the plaster. The investigators assume that it could have been testosterone plaster.

Milram: With „Extreme Power“ into the new season

For four days, the 27 riders of Team Milram met in Montegrotto Terme in the North of Italy. From 4 to 7 December, not only training was on the schedule. A foto shooting, the handing out of the new material as well as meeting again and getting to know each other.

For the first time, all the team members met on Monday evening for dinner. They had arrived during the day and had to tell each other a lot. The five new riders were integrated at once and adopted the good mood. It seemed as if Marcel Sieberg, Sebastian Schwager & Co had been part of the team forever.

Keep still and smile

Right on the first day of the team meeting, the new riders realised that they are going to ride in another categroy now. The fotoshooting made a professional impression right from the beginning, commanding respect from the riders. Make up, posing, keeping still and smiling – first each rider individually, then the whole team. This required concenartion and a certain endurance. Before the shooting, the riders had to fill out a form with personal questions for the autograph cards.

The next days were marked by „Extreme Power“. This is the name of the new frames. Now, all the team members ride on „Extreme Power“ instead of the predecessor „Cristallo“. The frames differ decisively in their method of construction. The new frames are no longer made in one piece like „Cristallo“, but are pieced together from several tubes. If the frame is damaged, it does not have to be exchanged completely. Only the broken tube is replaced. But not only this has changed, the design is new as well. The background remains black. Blue and white stripes make the valuable bikes look even nobler now..

Test passed

Reason enough for the 27 riders to test the new bikes right on Tuesday. Comment afterwards: test passed. Just like the bikes passed their test, so did the riders. Each of them was checked medically during the two days. The conclusion of the sport direction was positive: „Sure one or the other rider weighs a few pounds too much, but they will be losing them soon,“ Gianluigi Stanga showed himself contented.

One of the riders took the time in Italy for several appointments. First, Erik Zabel was guest at the presentation of the Giro d’Italia in Milan, one day later he visited Ernesto Colnago. There is hardly a break for the 36 year-old Team Milram sprinter. But for him, the four days passed as soon as for the other riders. The riders laughet a lot together, not only on Tuesday evening, when the whole team went out. The team meeting is the beginning of the hot phase of preparation, for in January, the first important races in Australia and Quatar are on the schedule.

Source Milram