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28 December 2005

UCI Announces 2006 ProTour Teams, 26 December ...
29 December News ...

2nd Oscar Gazzetta to Boonen

Tornado Tom Boonen (25) is a non-stop rock show that has been touring since the spring. In early 2005 it was the Classics and now, at the end of the year, there are the awards. The current World Champion has won the 2nd Annual Oscar Gazzetta presented by Italian's leading sports paper, La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The pink paper gathered 40 top players in the world of cycling to cast their votes: ProTour team managers, Grand Tour organizers and former cycling legends. All the votes were tallied and it Boonen (80 points) who stomped the retired American, Lance Armstrong (64), then further crushed Danilo Di Luca (37), Paolo Bettini (24) and Ivan Basso (22). Right, we are taking about points scored for an award and not a race, but hey, it is a win!

The selection was to be made on which rider was a contender for the full season, and just like last year the Tour de France winner was outscored to second spot. This year Boonen won the Tour de Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, stages of the Tour de France, and World Championship, which were monumental achievements for the young gun. Last year it was another young player, Damiano Cunego, who outscored Lance Armstrong. The 2004 jury selected il Piccolo Principe based on his wins in the Giro d'Italia, Giro di Lombardia and overall of the 2004 UCI ranking.

"Yes, Armstrong won the Tour for the seventh time, which was impressive, but he only did that," said cycling great Felice Gimondi, who voted for Boonen, Basso, followed by Di Luca. "Boonen won the important Spring Classics, was strong at the Tour in July, and then was at the top again in the fall for the most important event [Worlds]."

"The seventh Tour de Lance is something incredible," said 5X Tour winner Miguel Indurain. Big Mig cast his number one vote for the Texan, then Boonen and fellow Spaniard, Alejandro Valverde. "I know how hard it is to win the French race five times, imagine what it would take to win the race seven times in a row."

Interestingly, Team Manager of CSC, Bjarne Riis, voted for Di Luca over his own rider, Ivan Basso. "Danilo was more regular, and more complete, in the top from the beginning to the end of the season," explained the 1996 Tour winner. "He was great in the one day races, short stage races, and also the Giro d'Italia. For me he deserved the Oscar, just like he won the overall in the ProTour ranking."

For those who rocked in 2005 BiciRace.com salutes you! Boonen shook the earth this year, Armstrong dominated the Tour, and Basso, Valverde, Bettini and Di Luca showed their class. Bravi!

Read:
Sprint d'Or from RTBF to Boonen, 20 December
Belgium's Sportsman of the Year: Tom Boonen, 19 December
Tom Boonen Wins the 2005 Mendrisio d'Oro, 2 December
Velo d'Or for Tom Boonen, 30 November
Sports Merit Award for Tom Boonen, 18 November
First Race Win for New World Champion, 7 November
The King and Boonen Meet, 27 September

Premio Coppi-Bici d'Oro

The 2nd Oscar Gazzetta is the equivalent of the 9th Premio Coppi-Bici d'Oro for Tom Boonen. From this year forward the two trophies have united to form one of the most prestigious awards Italy has to offer. Over the nine years of the award, that takes Fausto Coppi's name, there have been some remarkable champions: Jan Ullrich (1997), Marco Pantani (1998), Lance Armstrong (1999, 2000), Gilberto Simoni (2001) Mario Cipollini (2002), Paolo Bettini (2003), Damiano Cunego (2004), Tom Boonen (2005).

Tomorrow Cipollini Goes Home

Tomorrow afternoon Mario Cipollini will be allowed to leave the Lucca hospital where he has been since Saturday 24 December when he crashed while skiing. After the immediate operation on his damaged kneecap the former World Champion was forced to spend Christmas in the hospital, but now he will be allowed to spend New Year's Eve at his home in Monte San Quirico (Toscana).

Yesterday il Re Leone got out of bed to walk some meters while using crutches, but never putting any weight on his damaged left knee. He has been looked after by Dr. Enrico Castellacci, who recommends that Cipollini returns to the hospital on 9 January for a further examination. The former sprint king will have to learn some basic exercises that are required to for proper long phase of recovery to his damaged knee.

Read:
Cipo Chills in Lucca Hospital, 27 December
Mario Cipollini Suffers in Ski Crash, 26 December

Roberto Heras Update

Roberto Heras (31) has been busy over the holidays with is lawyers, who are diligently preparing to defend their client against the charges of doping in the 2005 Vuelta a España. The Spanish cyclist will appear before the RFEC (Spanish Cycling Federation) on 13 January for the charges of taking EPO to achieve his 2005 Vuelta victory.

"We have reasons for his innocence and we are at a level to prove them," said José Maria Buxeda, the lawyer representing Heras. "There are errors in the procedure, and the methods for evaluating EPO have proven to be of little reliability."

Buxeda considers the evidence that he has gathered will be sufficient for RFEC to exonerate Roberto Heras. If the results are upheld then the Spaniard will likely receive a two-year suspension from professional cycling. Heras has already been suspended by his team, Liberty Seguros-Würth, in accordance with UCI ProTour rules.

Past Teams: Kelme (1995-2000), USPS (2001-2003), Liberty Seguros-Würth (2004-2005)

Read:
Saiz Buys Remaining Shares of Active Bay, 24 December
Manuel Piñera Resigns from Liberty, 14 December
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Liberty Goes On, 28 November
Roberto Heras in Trouble for EPO Use, 26 November

27 December News ...