| 11/28/2001 | + NEWS
ITALIAN SPONSOR FOR ARMSTRONG?
There is an Italian sponsor who could attach their name to the name of Lance Armstrong. It would depend on the American's acceptance to participate on the 2002 Giro d'Italia. The company would become a second sponsor, under the name of the US Postal. There have been rumors circulating that the sponsorship of the US Postal Cycling Team was in danger, due to the Anthrax scares that have occurred in the US Postal facilities in the US. The name of the Italian sponsor has not been revealed, but the project involves a large company from the food product sector.
ARMSTRONG WINS HIS THIRD "VELO D'OR"
American Lance Armstrong, winner of the last three Tours de France, has also won for the third year in a row the "Golden Bicycle" award, which is given by French publication "Velo Magazine". German Erik Zabel gained enough points to finish second in the voting. Armstrong becomes the first rider to win the award on three occasions.
1. Lance Armstrong (USA/US Postal) 77 points
2. Erik Zabel (GER/Telekom) 61
3. Erik Dekker (HOL/Rabobank) 47
4. Arnaud Tournant (FRA/pista) 26
5. Jan Ullrich (GER/Telekom) 22
6. Oscar Freire (SPA/Mapei) 17
7. Laurent Jalabert (FRA/CSC) 13
8. Oscar Sevilla (SPA/Kelme) 3
9. Rik Verbrugghe (BEL/Lotto) 2
In reference to the award, Armstrong said: "It is a great honor. If everything goes well on July 6th I will be in Luxembourg to attempt to win a fourth Tour de France". The Tour will remain the American's main objective, although there is talk that he might participate at Milano-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders. Armstrong who will have his first team meeting with the US Postal for the 2002 season in two weeks is faithful to the recipe that has made him successful in the previous years. "I ride practically every day during the winter. Although my training regime includes other exercises, like stretching, running, mountain bike, tennis, gold… The essential thing is to remain at a certain level of fitness".
ANGEL CASERO'S STATUS
It is incredible that the winner of the last Vuelta a España still remains without a team, after the end of the Festina sponsorship, which was his last team. After having talks with almost every Spanish team, his focus now is on foreign teams. These are his options right now:
#1 Lampre-Daikin: Casero knows that at this point Italian Team Lampre-Daikin is the only team that has made him an offer that would allow
him to ride the Tour de France. This happens to be one of the main requirements set by the Spaniard.
#2 Team Coast: The German team has increased their budget for 2002. Juan Fernandez, who was hired from Festina has momentarily stopped talks with Casero, but Casero's agents are open to talks. Team Coast has no guarantee of being invited to the Tour de France and could be left out like on their first season, which was this year.
#3 Unknown team: In the end, Casero may have to settle with a new or less known team like the German Team Gerolsteiner or Italian Maglieria Cage, both of whom are interested in him.
FASSA BARTOLO'S THIRD SEASON
Giancarlo Ferretti is a man of few words. But after thirty successful years as team director, Ferreti doesn't have to say much. One just has to take a look at the 35 victories that his team accumulated in 2001. Considering the bad luck that his riders suffered, the two fractures suffered by Ivan Basso, Casagrande's fall at the Giro, the two incidents with Ivanov, the traumas suffered by Pozzi & Petacchi, the doping scandal with Frigo (who was fired from the team) and the disqualification of Belli for punching Santa Barbara, the season could have gone much better.
"For 2002 we have decided to reinforce what is already a strong team – says Ferretti -. The arrivals of riders like Bartoli, Gontchar and Zanotti should help offset for the departure of Frigo and Rumsas". The team will be present as always, at all the major events in the international race calendar. Ferreti's plan is simple: "The leader for the classics will be Bartoli. Those are the races where Michele performs the best. Casagrande will concentrate in the Giro, but just like last season, he could go for any World Cup Classics". Behind those two team captains, they will have very talented riders like Ivan Basso and Sven Montgomery.
The final lineup for 2002 will be: Fabio Baldato, Michele Bartoli, Ivan Basso, Wladimir Belli, Filippo Casagrande, Francesco Casagrande, Sergej Gontchar, Vladimir Gustov, Sergej Ivanov, Kim Kirchen, Dimitri Konychev, Nicola Loda, Sven Montgomery, Rinaldo Nocentini, Alessandro Petacchi, Roberto Petito, Oscar Pozzi, Goradz Stangelj, Paolo Tiralongo, Matteo Tosatto, Tadej Valjavec, Marco Velo, Denis Zanette, Marco Zanotti.
The team will have their first meeting on December 5 in Spresiano. Then they will hold retreats at the Hotel Marinetta at Marina di Bibbona: the first one on January 9-18, the second on February 4-12.
DUFAUX CONTINUES
Thirty-two year old Laurent Dufaux has signed a contract for the coming season with Italian team Alessio, where he will ride with two-time Giro winner Ivan Gotti. The Swiss rider, who was riding for Team Saeco, has signed only for one year.
TOUR OF SWITZERLAND ANNOUNCEMENT
The 2002 Tour of Switzerland was presented in Bienne. The Tour de Suisse will start on June 18 and will include 9 stages, concluding on June 27 in Bienne with a time trial.
The Stages:
Prologue Time Trial 18/6 Lucerna 6 Km
Stage 1 19/6 Lucerna-Sciaffusa 176 Km
Stage 2 20/6 Sciaffusa-Domat Ems 189 Km
Stage 3 21/6 Domat Ems-Samnaun 150 Km
Stage 4 22/6 Coira-Ambrì 157 Km
Stage 5 23/6 Meiringen-Meiringen 149 Km
Stage 6 24/6 Interlaken-Verbier 176 Km
Stage 7 25/6 Martigny-Vevey 171 Km
Stage 8 26/6 Vevey-Lyss 225 Km
Stage 9 27/6 Lyss-Bienne 34 Km (ITT)
UCI NOT ASSUMING RESPONSIBILITY FOR LLANERAS FALSE POSITIVE
The UCI rejected today through a communiqué any responsibility in the false positive of Spanish cyclist Joan Llaneras and states that after the first positive it didn't make any information public of the positive test result. UCI affirms that the procedures were done according to the rules. The UCI didn't publish any information after the first analysis and only the Spanish Cycling Federation and Llaneras were informed about the results. "If the name of a rider was associated with a positive result and a sanction, it was premature and without foundation, so the UCI can't be made responsible for the events", states the communiqué. The UCI says that there is not such a thing as a "Llaneras or Strazzer case".
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+ RESULTS
Vuelta a Chiriqui, Panama
Stage 11, 146.5 kms:
1) Jose Manuel Garcia (Mexico) 3:20:50
G.C. after stage 11:
1. Ubaldo Mesa (Méx) 30.53.18
2. Gregorio Ladino (CRC) 30.53.38
3. José Luis Castel (Méx) 30.54.07
4. Alexis Rojas (Col) 30.55.12
5. Oscar Alvarez (Col) 30.54.15
6. Marconi Durán (CRC) 30.54.17
7. Víctor Hugo González (Col) 30.54.18
8. Guillermo Torres (Gua) 30.55.12
9. Federico Ramírez (CRC) 30.57.20
10. Fernando Escobar (Gua) 30.57.21www.infociclismo.com
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