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30.06.2007/ Mazzoleni temporarily suspended by Astana, No Tour for Marchante, Swiss cycling
is still waiting for Ullrich documents, Toyota-United' Ivan Dominguez returns to racing on Sunday, T-Mobile for Tour de France,
Barloworld for Tour de France, CSC for Tour de France
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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Special Coverage Tour de France 2007
Petacchi suspended by Milram
Riders Rabobank ProTeam question actions UCI
Toyota United's Sean P. Tucker: "There are ... only two ways to fix the problem of doping"
Astana out for Le Tour? Update: Astana roster for Tour de France - riders will sign new UCI charter
Stuttgart is considering to cancel world championships
Quickstep doctor Yvan Van Mol accused of importing PEDs
New: Jaksche will cooperate with authorities
New: Jaksche: "The team management knew everything"
Mazzoleni temporarily suspended by Astana
The Astana Cycling Team decided to suspend temporarily its italian
rider Eddy Mazzoleni (33). In order to protect the team and to respect
the ethical code in force, the management of the Astana Cycling Team is waiting for the results of the CONI investigations before taking any final decision regarding Eddy Mazzoleni’s future within the swiss team.
Read also: Astana out for Le Tour?
No Tour for Marchante
José Ángel Gómez Marchante has had a run of bad luck this year: despite his
great performance, he hasn´t notched up any victory so far. Moreover, he suffered from different physical problems that made
him miss some of the prime goals he had set for this season, for instance, the spring classics. Now, Gómez Marchante had to
drop out of the nine-men Sanier Duval - Prodir team who will take part in the Tour de France. He would have been the head
of the "red birds" in France.
Lately, Gómez Marchante has been going through a period of
exacerbated symptoms of ulcerative colitis, a form of the inflammatory bowel disease -IDB- he´s been suffering for three years
now. The main symptom of this intermittent disease involving inflammation of the colon is usually diarrhoea mixed with blood.
The most recent symptoms were triggered during the final stages of the Tour of Switzerland, and the team were extremely worried
about this. The rider is undergoing medical treatment, and his doctors recommended higher doses of medication and will perform
further tests on Wednesday -a colonoscopy and a study to identify cell markers.
The rider
and the team expect Gómez Marchante to be back for the Vuelta Ciclista a España, if lab test results turn out to be all right.
At this edition of the Tour de France, the Madrid-born cyclist will be replaced by David Cañada, who was the first substitute
in case something happened on the days before the race.
Swiss cycling is still waiting for Ullrich documents
The Swiss Cycling Federation is still not able to open a case again former Tour de France winner
Jan Ullrich. The president of the Swiss cycling Federation, Lorenz Schläfli told German tv station N-TV: "It's a complicated
case. We are depending from the fact that we receive official documents of the world federation UCI. As far as I know they
are examining the new dossier from Spain at the moment," Schläfli said.
Although Ullrich is not racing anymore the Swiss federation is interested in punishing the former T-Mobile
rider, if it is proven that Ullrich was involved in any wrong doing. For Swiss cycling its impossible to open a
case against Ullrich as the documents that the federation received have no official status.
Schläfli told N-Tv that German state prosecuters also did not send the Swiss fedartion any documents.
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| Jan Ullrich during his retirement press conference (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
Toyota-United' Ivan Dominguez returns to racing on Sunday
You wouldn’t know it by the sound of his voice, but it has been a frustrating six weeks for Toyota-United
Pro Cycling Team’s Ivan Dominguez.
The Cuban super sprinter has been sidelined since a bizarre crash May 17
during Stage 1 of the Tri-Peaks Challenge in Arkansas. Dominguez had already crossed the finish line that day when his front
wheel suddenly twisted sideways, tossing him headfirst over the handlebars.
The 5-foot-9, 160-pounder landed squarely
on his back, bruising his ribs. He was off the bike for more than two weeks and still has trouble sleeping at night.
"If
I am riding real hard, I feel the pain in my back," Dominguez said.
So what are his expectations for his return to
racing this Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix?
"It’s hard to say," he said Thursday.
"I stopped for a month and although I feel good training, racing is a lot different."
The crash at Tri-Peaks forced
Dominguez to miss the 'Philly Week' races earlier this month. The series of single-day races have previously showcased his
sprinting ability, including the second place he scored at the International Championship last year in Philadelphia.
But
while Dominguez has won eight races this season (his last victory was May 11 at the Joe Martin Stage Race), Toyota-United
has continued its winning ways without him, racking up 11 first place finishes.
"Some teams only have one guy who
can win. Our team has many," Dominguez said. "It’s made me feel more relaxed seeing them win."
Dominguez will
be joined by a host of talented teammates when he takes the start line for the 46th edition of the race that has seen its
spot on the National Race Calendar moved up from its mid-August date of a year ago.
Last year’s race was won
by Toyota-United’s J.J. Haedo while Dominguez finished fourth. In addition to Dominguez, Toyota-United riders Jose Manuel
'Chepe' Garcia, Caleb Manion, Ryan Miller, Sean Sullivan, Henk Vogels and Chris Wherry will be racing in front of a crowd
that traditionally numbers more than 10,000.
The 90-minute race will be broadcast live on the Internet by iBN Sports
(www.ibnsports.com) and archived for later viewing.
The hot dog-shaped course for the expected field of more than 150 riders features
a pair of long straightaways, two sweeping 180 degree turns and 50-feet of climbing per lap.
Making each 1.4-mile
(2.2 km) lap most challenging is the 180-degree turn that comes 300 meters from the finish line.
"If you’re
not in the top two or three places coming around that turn on the last lap, it’s going to be hard for you to win the
race," Dominguez said. "Every year, you have people crashing and getting all crazy."
Toyota-United
on pace to top 2006 win total
With more than half of the 2007 race schedule in the books, the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team is on pace
to exceed its 2006 win total.
During its inaugural season, Toyota-United scored 55 victories and garnered 112 podium
finishes.
Team Owner Sean Tucker sees a lot to be proud of with three months of racing to go.
"We are the
only domestic team to win stages at the Tour de Georgia and the Amgen Tour of California," Tucker said. "Our fan club membership
numbers more than 20,000 and we are on track for our goal of winning the National Race Calendar team classification."
Through
June 28, Toyota-United has won 26 races and gained 76 podium placings. That amounts to reaching the podium in 94 percent of
all races competed in during 2007.
At this time last year, the team had 25 victories on its way to a second place
finish in the NRC team classification.
With 13 events left on the NRC calendar, Toyota-United trails only three-time
defending team champion Health Net presented by Maxxis in the team standings.
Barberi, Lea in Massachusetts for
Fitchburg Longsjo
Toyota-United’s Stefano Barberi and Bobby Lea finished 25th and 51st, respectively, in Thursday’s
opening time trial of the 48th annual Fitchburg Longsjo Classic in Fitchburg, Mass.
Barberi completed the 6.55-mile
(10.5 km) point-to-point race against the clock in 17 minutes and 35 seconds. Russell Langley (Battley Harley-David) won in
a time of 16:17.6. Lea clocked a time of 18:13.3.
Friday’s stage is the 78-mile Fitchburg State College Circuit
Race, followed by Saturday’s 104-mile Wachusett Mountain Road Race. The race concludes Sunday with the 50-mile Workers
Credit Union Downtown Criterium.
“Hopefully these guys can seize the opportunity in the road race,” Toyota-United
Team Director Harm Jansen said. “There’s a nice uphill finish which will suit Stefano.”
Toyota-United sponsored rider will appear on 'Larry King Live'
Dan Sheret, the below-the-knee amputee endurance cyclist who is riding his bicycle around the world, will
appear on CNN’s “Larry King Live” next week.
The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team is proud to sponsor
Sheret’s ride, which raises money and awareness for two organizations’ work with landmine survivors.
Sheret
flew to Los Angeles earlier this month to tape a segment of the show called “Against All Odds.” It will be broadcast
on July 4 at 9 p.m. EDT/6 p.m PDT.
The more than 14,000-mile journey that will take Sheret around the globe began June
1 in Washington, D.C., as Toyota-United riders Ivan Stevic and Henk Vogels rode the opening miles with him.
Sheret’s
U.S. portion of the ride ends in San Francisco on July 25. For more information about his ride, visit www.abilitytrek.org or link from www.toyota-united.com.
| Toyota-United swept the podium at the Quad Knopf |
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| Sequoia Cycling Classic Crit withVogels, Dominguez and Stevic (picture: Kathleen Poulos) |
T-Mobile for Tour de France
The T-Mobile Team has selected
its nine-man roster for the Tour de France - with the team’s GC ambitions centred around Michael Rogers.
Joining him in London on July 7th will be Marcus Burghardt, Mark Cavendish, Bernhard Eisel, Linus Gerdemann,
Giuseppe Guerini, Kim Kirchen, Axel
Merckx and Patrik Sinkewitz.
A question mark still hangs over the fitness of Giuseppe Guerini, however. The Italian recently abandoned the
Tour de Suisse with stomach problems. He will now use his national championships on Sunday to test his fitness.
A final decision will be taken early next week. Germany ’s Bert Grabsch is waiting as first replacement should Guerini miss the cut. Commenting on the overall shape of the
team, general manager Bob Stapleton says:
"We believe we are sending a very
balanced team. We have guys who are strong in the mountains and overall GC riders circled around Rogers. That’s Sinkewitz, Gerdeman and Merckx. We have breakaway
specialists and we have sprinters."
After taking tenth place overall from a supporting role at last year’s Tour, Rogers is ready to step up to the role of team captain. "The Tour is the hardest race of all in my books. Every stage
is raced like a one-day world cup race," says the 27 year-old Rogers. "I hope it goes well. I have trained my hardest
and prepared the best I can. I hope to finish in the top 5."
In a very fresh and young race roster three rookies will be getting their first taste of T our action: "We are sending a very capable team with a lot of young guys," says Stapleton.
"The bulk of the team is 26 years or younger, there are a couple of veterans
but overall it is quite a young team going to the Tour."
Head of sports management Rolf Aldag is wary of putting the rookies under
too much pressure: "It’s a chance for the younger guys to gain some experience
and see what they can do in the world’s biggest race," says Aldag. "Results are less important. I feel good about
the team and I am excited about it."
While the team retains high GC ambitions, the focus is broader than just the yellow jersey. "We are coming in with a good support cast for Rogers, while
the rest of the team is there to do work on the flat stages – getting into breakaways or positioning our sprinters for a good run at the finish, be that Cavendish or Eisel," says Stapleton. "It is not all for one. It is everything for the
team."
Until a few months ago Mark Cavendish was very much a long-shot for a Tour start, but after an impressive string
of race wins he forced himself into the selection.
"The team believes in him, he believes in himself, he’s won against other top riders already. The Tour takes all that up another notch though - the speed and the intensity at the finish is going to be something he hasn’t experienced yet," says Stapleton.
Cavendish "It’s like a dream com e true for me to ride the
Tour so early in my career. I will give it everything to repay the team management for their faith in me."
The 26-year old Eisel has plenty of experience of the intensity of th e
Tour’s bunch gallops. "We signed Bernhard with big races like the Tour in mind, and we never made a secret of that. He has great top-end speed, can win stages
and he has shown his willingness to work for the team," said Aldag.
After steady development German rookies Linus Gerdemann and Marcus Burghardt are keen to test themselves against
the best. "It is my first Tour start and it will be part of the learning process,"
says Linus Gerdemann, "but of course I also want to race well."
Stapleton sees Burghardt playing a key tactical role as the race develops. "You may see someone like Burghardt working for the sprinters earlier in the race and then going for breakaway in later
stages."
In the mountains Rogers will be relying on the vastly experienced climbers Axel Merckx and Giuseppe Guerini,
should the Italian prove his fitness. The team will also look to Patrik Sinkewitz and Kim Kirchen to show their best form
on the ferocious slopes of the Alps and Pyreness. Kirchen was very impressive
on his way to second overall at last week’s Tour de Suisse.
"Kim has been consistently impressive since the start of the season, and he doesn’t shy away from taking on responsibility either," says
sporting director Valerio Piva on the Luxembourg rider who has this week signed a two year extension with the T-Mobile Team.
Sporting directors in France are Piva (48) and Brian Holm (44). The 94th edition of „"Grand Boucle" starts with a 7.9 Kilometre Prologue
in London on July 7th and concludes after 3,550 Kilometres in Paris on July 29th.
T-Mobile for Tour de France: Marcus Burghardt (23/Germany), Mark
Cavendish (22/Great Britain), Bernhard Eisel (26/Austria), Giuseppe Guerini (37/Italy), Linus Gerdemann (24/Germany), Kim
Kirchen (28/Luxembourg), Axel Merckx (34/Belgium), Michael Rogers (27/Australia), Patrik Sinkewitz (27/Germany).
Sports Directors: Valerio Piva (48/Italy) and Brian Holm (44/Denmark)
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| Kim Kirchen was 2nd overall at the Tour de Suisse (picture: Heinz Zwicky, www.radsport.ch) |
Barloworld for Tour de France
Team Barloworld has selected its roster for the 94th Tour de France. Leaded by Team Manager Claudio Corti
and directeur sportif Alberto Volpi and Valerio Tebaldi , the team will line-up at TdF departure in London on July 7th Felix
Cardenas (Col), Gianpaolo Cheula (Ita), Enrico Degano (Ita), Alexander Efimkin (Rus), Robert Hunter (Rsa), Paolo Longo Borghini
(Ita), Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr), Mauricio Soler (Col) and Geraint Thomas (Gbr) .
Team manager Claudio Corti says: "We
selected a proper team according to our ambitions. We haven't set ourselves impossible objectives but we are determined to
be in the action. We know we'll have to take on the race and that is what we aim to do every day."
CSC for Tour de France
The nine riders selected by Team CSC for this year's Tour de France are:
Carlos Sastre, Fränk Schleck,
Jens Voigt, Stuart O'Grady, Fabian Cancellara, Inigo Cuesta, Kurt-Asle Arvesen, Christian Vande Velde and David Zabriskie.
”As always, it's been a very difficult decision. It may sound like a cliché, but again this year we have had
the luxury in the fact that we have so many strong riders, who would be able to do well in Tour de France. We have tried to
select a broad group of riders in order to make our mark throughout the entire race. In this way we will be able to make a
difference in the general classification and at the same time we also have riders, who will be able to go for stage wins in
all kinds of terrain. In Sastre and Schleck we have two great contenders for the general classification and of course we will
be putting up a fight for the first yellow leader's jersey in London,” says CSC sports director Kim Andersen.
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| Carlos Sastre will start at the Tour (picture: cyclingheroes) |
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