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02.06.2007/ Team CSC and MAN part ways, Erik Zabel wins again, Dominguez will miss CSC invitational & Commerce
Bank series, Tour of Belgium: Gusev takes ITT, Team Barloworld starts at Tour de France, Ryan Cox not on Barloworld Tour team
Mailbox - win a picture in poster format with Original Autograph of Michael Boogerd
Letterbox: You can send your letters with ideas, comments and other things you would like to let us and
our readers to know to: letters@cyclingheroes.de . Some of the letters will be published on our website. We can only publish letters with your full name, hometown
and country.
Please note: your letter should not be longer than 350 words. The editor choose every month "The letter of the month".
The writer of the best letter in June 2007 will receive a picture in 20 X 30 CM format with original handwritten
autograph of Michael Boogerd.
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Former T-Mobile doctor Schmid did blood doping research for WADA
Doping: More riders speak out
Zabel is allowed to continue riding for Team Milram
University of Freiburg: 55 years of deception?
New: Special coverage Giro d'Italia 2007
Team CSC and MAN part ways
The German trucking and bus company MAN has requested to be absolved from its sponsoring contract with Team CSC, and the
request has been met by Riis Cycling A/S.
”MAN does no longer wish to use cycling sport as part of its marketing
activities and of course we will be taking this into consideration. On top of recent developments the German company no longer
considers the sport a suitable platform for the branding of its products, and this means that MAN will no longer be sponsoring
the team. We regret this of course, but at the same time we are happy that we have managed to come up with a suitable solution
for both parties regarding the termination of our contract, which was originally meant to run until the end of 2008,”
explains Chairman of the Board at Riis Cycling A/S, Henrik Schlüter.
Erik Zabel wins again
Erik Zabel did it again: In Kitzingen he won the bunch sprint after 181 kilometers and defended the yellow jersey. Javier
Benitez (Benfica) followed second before Sebastian Siedler. Marcel Sieberg completed Team Milram's good result with rank six.
After
his win the day before Erik Zabel acquired a taste for it. This couldn’t be changed by Christoph von Kleinsorgen (Team
Heinz von Heiden-Focus) too. The rider from Coesfeld had established a gap of over nine minutes. But it wasn't enough for
him. Quite a number of teams worked at the head of the peloton and nine kilometers to finish von Kleinsorgen was caught up
again.
On the last two kilometersTeam Milram completely rode in front of the bunch. Erik Zabel rewarded the team's
work with the second stage win. The result was completed by rank three for Sebastian Siedler and rank six for Marcel Sieberg.
"Successes and defeats have lost their importance during the last weeks and years and especially during the last days. At
the moment, the best place is on the bike. But it doesn't make the last days forgotten. On the bike you get your mind free.
And of course this win means a lot to me," Zabel said.
The bunch sprint was overshadowed by crash with the Australian
Stuart O’Grady (CSC). "I heard it behind me and it sounded like not only one rider crashed. It sounded terrible. Before
the sprint I said to my team: If we do the sprint we do it from the first positions. Otherwise it could become a little too
dangerous,“ Zabel continued.
"Fortunately we found us again on the last kilometers - before, everything was a
little chaotic. I had to give everything to get into the position to lead Erik Zabel into the last meters. We went into the
last 500 meters with three riders and were able to lead Erik with highspeed into the finish. My third place is only the result
of the perfect teamwork today and of the very high speed during the last meters," said Sebastian Siedler.
On Saturday
the time trial in Rothenburg is scheduled, which is of interest for the overall classification. Zabel about the time trial
tomorrow: "Well, I know my opportunities. It would be too much if I tried to get a place on the podium tomorrow. I think to
finish two or three minutes behind the winners."
Results
Stage 3
1 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram
4.08.21 (43.75 km/h)
2 Javier Benitez Pomares (Spa) Benfica
3 Sebastian Siedler (Ger) Team Milram
4 Jochen Summer (Aut) Elk Haus - Simplon
5 André Schulze (Ger) Team Wiesenhof Felt
6 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Team Milram
7 Rui Costa (Por) Benfica
8 Gerhard Trampusch (Aut) Team Volksbank
9 Hans Dekkers (Ned) Agritubel
10 Harald Morscher (Aut) Team Volksbank
General Classification after stage 3
1 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram
13.20.59
2 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team CSC
0.06
3 Sebastian Siedler (Ger) Team Milram
0.10
4 Javier Benitez Pomares (Spa) Benfica
0.11
5 Malaya Van Ruitenbeek (Ned) Team Regiostrom - Senges
6 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Gerolsteiner
0.15
7 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC
8 Björn Papstein (Ger) Team 3C - Gruppe Lamonta
0.19
9 Steven Caethoven (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - Topsport Vlaanderen
0.20
10 Gerhard Trampusch (Aut) Team Volksbank
Read also: Zabel is allowed to continue riding for Team Milram
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| Erik Zabel during last years Tour of Germany (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
Dominguez will miss CSC invitational & Commerce Bank series
Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team sprinter Ivan Dominguez will miss Saturday’s CSC Invitational and the
entire Commerce Bank “Triple Crown of Cycling” series while he continues his recovery from a bizarre crash at
the Tri-Peaks Challenge last month.
Dominguez has been Toyota-United’s most successful racer this season, winning
eight races – including Stage 7 of the Amgen Tour of California. The Cuban is a past winner of the CSC Invitational
(in 2005), finished second at the Philadelphia International Championship last year and was third at the Wachovia Invitational
in Lancaster, Penn., in 2005.
“It’s a tremendous loss for us,” said Toyota-United Team Director
Harm Jansen. “He was coming into such great form.”
Dominguez severely bruised his back and ribs when he
flipped over the handlebars 200 meters after crossing the finish line in Stage 1 of the Tri-Peaks Challenge May 17 in Russellville,
Ark. The eighth-year pro said he doesn’t remember making contact with anyone and nothing was found to be wrong with
his bicycle.
“It has really bothered me the way I crashed,” Dominguez said Friday from his Los Angeles-area
home. “If I crashed going into the last turn or going for it in the sprint, I’d expect something like that. But
this was while I was rolling in at the back of the group after the finish. I’m still trying to figure out what happened.”
Dominguez said he expects to resume training next week but might not be able to start racing again for some time.
“It’s a very frustrating situation, but like I said to my teammates, I want to make sure I heal the injury
the way I’m supposed to,” Dominguez said. “I don’t want to crash again and make it worse.”
Jansen
said with Dominguez out, Toyota-United will look to Ivan Stevic and Henk Vogels to be the designated team leaders for the
four races over the next nine days. Stevic was third at the CSC Invitational in 2005 while Vogels has won in Philadelphia
(in 2000).
After Saturday’s CSC Invitational, Toyota-United will compete in three Pro Cycling Tour events: the
Tom Bamford Lancaster Classic on Sunday, the Commerce Bank Reading Classic on June 7 and the Philadelphia International Championship
on June 10.
The rest of Toyota-United’s roster for the series will be Jose Manuel Garcia, Caleb Manion, Sean
Sullivan and 2005 USPRO Road Champion Chris Wherry. The rest of the Toyota-United team is competing in the Mt. Hood Cycling
Classic in Oregon through Sunday.
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| Ivan Dominguez is still recovering from a bizarre crash (picture: Toyota-United) |
Tour of Belgium: Gusev takes ITT
Vladimir Gusev (Discovery Channel) won stage 3, an individual time trial of 16.7 kilometers around Herzele.
Wit Tom Danielson (third) and Gianni Meersman Discovery had two more riders in the top ten.
An early fast time was put in by Unibet's Alexander Khatuntsev at 21.53 and was the time to beat until Tinkoff rider Jorg
Jaksche bested him at 21.05. The German’s time held until Discovery's Tom Danielsontook over the lead with a new
best time at 20.52.
Eventually teammate Vladimir Gusev took to the start house and quite simply set the course on fire, besting the time of
Danielson by 31 seconds, for a new top time of 20.21. Only one rider came between the DC boys in black and blue as Belgium’s
Sebastien Rosseler (Quickstep - Energetic) managed to clock a finish time of 20.39.
Results
Stage 3
1 Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 20.21 (49.23 km/h)
2 Sébastien Rosseler (Bel)
Quickstep - Innergetic 0.18
3 Tom Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.31
4 Rick Flens (Ned) Rabobank
0.32
5 Bert Roesems (Bel) Predictor - Lotto 0.33
6 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Skil - Shimano 0.39
7 Leif Hoste (Bel)
Predictor - Lotto 0.43
8 Jörg Jaksche (Ger) Tinkoff Credit System 0.44
9 Kevin Ista (Bel) Pôle Continental Wallon Bergasol
- Euro Millions 0.51
10 Gianni Meersman (Bel) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team .51
General Classification after stage 3
1 Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 8.19.11
2 Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Quickstep
- Innergetic 0.14
3 Rick Flens (Ned) Rabobank 0.34
4 Bert Roesems (Bel) Predictor - Lotto 0.35
5 Maarten Tjallingii
(Ned) Skil - Shimano 0.38
6 Leif Hoste (Bel) Predictor - Lotto 0.45
7 Bram Tankink (Ned) Quickstep - Innergetic 0.50
8
Gianni Meersman (Bel) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.53
9 Tyler Farrar (USA) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone 0.58
10
Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Predictor - Lotto 1.05
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| Vladimir Gusev during this years Liège-Bastogne-Liège (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
Team Barloworld starts at Tour de France
Team Barloworld has been invited to ride the 94th edition of the Tour de France that will start in London
on July 7 and end in Paris on July 29.
The other teams invited by the organizers are: Agritubel, Ag2r Prèvoyance, Astana,
Bouygues Tèlècom, Caisse d'Epargne, Cofidis le Crèdit Par Tèlèphone, Crèdit Agricole, Team CSC, Discovery Channel, Euskatel-Euskadi,
Francaise des Jeux, Gerolsteiner, Lampre-Fondital, Liquigas, Team Milram, Predictor-Lotto, Quick Step-Innergetic , Rabobank,
Saunier Duval - Prodir and the T-Mobile Team.
"Obviously we're very happy with ASO's decision and very thankful
that they've recognized the qualities of our team and our professionalism," Barloworld's Team Manager Claudio Corti said.
"The
project we've been working on for two years has everything in place to take to the highest level. From an organizational point
of view, I believe we've already shown that we work to the highest standards. We've always kept our standards very high and
focused on quality young riders that are showing their worth, and on more experienced riders who have already obtained impressive
results."
"It's important to talk about our sponsor. Barloworld is a South African multi-national company that is
present in numerous European and world wide markets, and is a extraordinary resource for cycling in a difficult moment. I'm
very proud to have brought an African sponsor into the highest level of cycling."
"I honestly think that Team Barloworld
has deserved this great opportunity and I'm sure that we'll be able to honour our place in the Tour de France. We know we
can't compete for the big objectives in the race but we're sure we can play a key role in the racing. The enthusiasm of our
riders will be extra motivation so that we put ourselves in the spotlight in the most important race in the world."
"Directuer
sportifs Alberto Volpi and Valerio Tebaldi will direct Team Barloworld at the Tour de France and we've already drawn up a
list of 12 riders for the nine-rider team and we will announce the names in the next few days."
Ryan Cox not on Barloworld Tour team
South African rider Ryan Cox will not be at Barloworld's Tour team. Cox was diagnosed for a vascular lesion
on his left leg on May 22. On his website www.ryancox.co.za Cox said: "After chatting with my Team Manager today, the conclusion is that I need to see an Italian specialist. I
have been diagnosed with a vascular problem that needs surgery but the Team would like me to see a specialist in Italy. I
would like to get this over and done with but seems like it might still take a while with some more tests needed. I have been
to my Team Dr who had a look at all my X-Rays but even he said he is not to clued up with this kind of problem. So I have
no answers yet. If I did the surgery it would be in France in Lyon as my Team Dr said he knows the Dr there that would perform
the surgery, as he is well known for treating cyclists. So I am off to Spain next week where I will do Bizikletta Vaska(7-10June)
and then to Portugal for GP Internacional CTT Correios (14-17June)..."
Cox will not start at the Tour de France but is very happy for the team: "What a day for Barloworld as we
got the news today that we will be doing the Tour de France. It's been hard work for the Team the past 5 years as the endless
promises finally came true. I'm really happy to finally see this Team get to where it should be, entry into the biggest bike
race in the world. As for me I will not be going to the Tour, very disappointing on my side as I really would love to do the
Tour, but with surgery needed there is no way I would even think about doing it. A huge step for the Team and I am sure there
are smiles all around, I'll be cheering them on all the way and I think my Team will have an awesome Tour. I'm sure a stage
is not out of the question so I'm excited to see what happens..."
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| Ryan Cox during this years Fleche Wallonne (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
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