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4 August 2005

5 August News ...

Bravissimo Basso

The big team on the block, Team CSC, lived up to its status in the opening stage of the Tour of Denmark. Reminiscent of the Tour de France, Ivan Basso and Jens Voigt were firing their missiles. The artilleries paid off for Ivan Basso. The Italian Stallion finished solo and took the leader's jersey.

The stage started with a Jens Voigt explosion. Voigt show true-grit over the 210K stage, staying away for most of the stage. His work helped weaken the peloton and setup an unusual flat stage win for Ivan Basso. The Italian attacked and left the peloton to claim a solo victory on the wet streets of Skive.

"I'm happy to be able to finish off the nice work done by the team," said Basso post-win via Team CSC. "This isn't exactly my terrain, but I felt good, and I feel that I'm still on form after the Tour." The Italiano is the big name at the Tour of Denmark. He is fresh from an impressive 2nd place overall at the Tour de France. "In Denmark they are missing the mountains, but I did all I could to be a protagonist, also on the course that did not predict me as a winner."

Now Ivan Basso will continue on in the remaining five stages with hopes of securing the overall. He will have to take it day by day, the race is almost completely flat. From Denmark Basso will go until the end of the season, targeting the Züri Metzgete and Giro di Lombardia. Dai Basso!

Rik Verbrugghe In Eneco

Rik Verbrugghe (Quick-Step) scored a ProTour win in the opening stage of the Eneco Tour (Benelux Tour). The Belgian was the 76th (of 181) riders off of the ramp, just before the storms set in. Verbrugghe tackled the cobble-stoned streets of Mechelen in his flawless aerodynamic perfection.

The top three finishers all benefited from an early start time, completing the 5.7K route before Mother Nature let loose. Verbrugghe (31) seemed to understand his good fortune. "One needs a bit of luck, naturally. But my time was a solid time all the same." BiciRace.com agrees, this was a deserved victory, rain or no rain.

Verbrugghe will have his work cut out for him if he wants to defend the red leader's jersey. The Eneco Tour has just begun, there are seven very tough and technical stages left to complete. "It will be obviously difficult to retain my lead. That depends on many factors. Obviously, now I am able to aim at a good overall classification, especially with the number of the stages in the Ardennes and the mini-Amstel Gold Race to come."

Eneco Tour, 3 - 10 August
Main, Startlist, Map, Photos

Klöden Out of Action

Save up your money and bet on a Klöden win at the Giro di Lombardia (mid-October). Andreas Klöden (T-Mobile) has broken a bone in his right hand and is slated to be out of competition until the end of September. When the T-Mobile man returns he will have all of his guns firing.

This is an injury resulting from stage 16 of the Tour de France. Now Klöden is wearing a cast covering his right hand, making racing impossible. "The swelling has gone down. ... I will be doing other things to stay fit, but I hope to return to competition later in the season," said Klöden via T-Mobile. BiciRace.com wishes Klöden the best of luck, and we now put our savings on a Klöden victory on the streets of Como.

Ulle Targeting Deutschland-Tour

Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile) has been racing criterium after criterium since finishing 3rd in the 92nd Tour de France. Next on the German's schedule are more criteriums and then a win in the Deutschland-Tour (Tour of Germany). The race runs for 9 days, 15-23 August, in Ulle's home country. It will be great chance for Ulle to put down the hammer. "It is a very important race, both for me and for the team," says Ullrich.

"The Deutschland-Tour will be really tough this year. The mountain stages look really demanding. The climb to Sölden is even steeper than the Galibier. That will be a hard test," said Ulle via T-Mobile. The Ullrich tifosi know that he comes on form in the second half of the year. In the past Ulle has won the Vuelta a España and the TT World Championships, both races in the later half of the season. "I am preparing intensively in Switzerland for this race. I still have my good form from the Tour and hope to maintain it between now and the Deutschland-Tour."

Tom Steels at Eneco and Vuelta

Belgian fast-man, Tom Steels (Davitamon-Lotto), is one of the top sprinters on the start list at the Eneco Tour. Steels, 34 years-old, is aiming to for an end of season run. He is racing the Eneco Tour, Vuelta a España, then hoping to have a spot on the Belgian National team, supporting of Tom Boonen in Madrid.

The Eneco Tour is a return to competition for the experienced Steels. He is up against many top sprinters, including Alessandro Petacchi and Erik Zabel. After Eneco it will be a reunion with the Vuelta a España. It has been nine years since Steels has raced on the roads of Spain. The Vuelta should provide the proper form, and a possible win, for the World Championships (25 September) a week later.

3 August News ...