BiciRace.com :: News :: August 2005

News :: August 2005

1 August 2005

Zabel says 'Ciao'

Zabel on the Move, photo: T-Mobile

The T-Mobile fast-man, Erik Zabel (35), will leave his team at this end of this season. This last weekend T-Mobile and Zabel discussed a future contract but failed to reach any agreements. "I regret the outcome of the negotiations," said future team manager Olaf Ludwig via T-Mobile. "Both parties had their own ideas, which we couldn't agree to."

Erik Zabel is well respected in the peloton. The German has served 13 years in the magenta colors of Telekom/T-Mobile. He has racked up 191 road wins (including four wins in the Milan–Sanremo). This fact, combined with being left off of the 2005 Tour de France team, was perhaps too much for Zabel to handle. But the German denies this, "absolutely nothing to do with it. It [Tour exclusion] was difficult for me, but I was eventually able to put that behind me."

BiciRace.com sources has Zabel linked with Domina Vacanze. That would mean the German fast-man would be in the service of Alessandro Petacchi. Most likely a decision will be made in the month of August. Zabel is also busy with racing. On his list are: the Eneco Tour, Vuelta a España and hopes of a deserved win at the World Championships.

Pippo Wins HEW-Cyclassics

Paolini and Pozzato 1-2, photo: HEW-Cyclassics

Filippo Pozzato won the 10th HEW-Cyclassics yesterday under clouds and rain. Pippo (24) out-sprinted his Quick-Step teammate, Luca Paolini (28). It was a close finish, under 10 centimeters. Even the race announcer proclaimed a Paolini win. Looking at Pozzato and Paolini's reactions it became clear, 1st for Pozzato and 2nd for Paolini.

The Quick-Step duo pulled off a coup reminiscent of the Mapei days. Both of the young riders were part of the Italian Mapei formation at the start of their careers. They had out-witted the top sprinter on paper, Allan Davis (Liberty Seguros - Würth), for a Quick-Step 1-2. Pippo got his first win since the 2004 Tour de France, while for Paolini it was a continuation of a comeback from his early season knee problems.

"At three kilometers Pozzato and I talked," explained Paolini. "He had a longer sprint, so I would go in the last meters ... we had decided that I would remain behind, also to protect him." It was a master plan by the two that foiled a Fassa Bortolo foursome. Paolini continued, "I am happy that he won and I am satisfied also with my second spot, we deserve this day."

Pozzato added another huge win to his palmarès. It was a fast rising Aussie that had Pippo worried: "I went in the closing meters, after Davis had passed in front. I sincerely thought that the Australian let up." The biggest challenger to Pippo ended up being his Quick-Step mate. "Then I saw the appearance of somebody on my right, when I understood that it was Paolini, I thought that it was the right person to beat me. It was better that Luca was there. In reality, both of us now understand how we are going."

HEW-Cyclassics, Germany, 31 July, 251K
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Fassa Bortolo Missed Out

It was not a great day for the blue and white boys of cement at the HEW-Cyclassics. When the winning move formed on the last ascent of the Waseberg there were four, yes four, Fassa Bortolo riders in the move. At the end, 17K later, there were zero Fassa Bortolo riders on the podium.

Fassa had Juan Antonio Flecha, Marco Velo, Fabian Cancellara and Lorenzo Bernucci in the move. The plan was to keep the tempo extremely high so that no one could attack, then deliver Cancellara to a sprint win. The plan was executed to perfection but the Swiss rider did not have the legs for the sprint victory.

The team's main sprint gun, Alessandro Petacchi, could not manage the climb of the Waseberg, and in fact was caught at the back in a crash. It was a light crash for the Fassa Bortolo sprinter. On landing Ale-Jet fractured the little finger of his right hand. There will most likely be an operation today, giving him time to recover and race the Eneco Tour.

Ullrich Made Race, but Not Finish

In the HEW-Cyclassics the final two ascents of the Waseberg belonged to power-man, Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile). Ulle forced the pace both times up the feared ascent in the wooded Hamburg hills. On the final time up Waseberg, the winning move formed. The move proved to be too big for Ulle to be effective. The German tried on the run-in to thin the group by putting in attacks. Once the moves were nullified by a small Fassa Bortolo group Ulle seemed to give up hope. Ullrich, who just last week finished 3rd in the Tour de France, sat up and just rode in with the winning move.

31 July News ...