BiciRace.com :: News :: January 2006

News :: January 2006

16 January 2006

Ulle All for Tour and Partly Giro

Ulle at Presentation, photo: T-Mobile

Last Saturday was the presentation of the German T-Mobile squadra. Jan Ullrich (32) is looking cooler these days with longer hair and a relaxed aurora. He looks forward to a 2006 Tour de France where his is once again a serious contender after the retirement of Lance Armstrong. Also on the schedule of the German is the Giro d'Italia, but he insists that he will be using the Italian race only to build his form.

"I will go to the Giro d'Italia, but it will be to train for the Tour de France," confirmed the Ullrich. "In the end the decisive month for me will be July ... Now that Vinokourov has left the roles are clearer in the squad, but there were never any sort of problems between us."

Ullrich has been on the Tour scene before and after Armstrong, from 1997 when he won the race, to 2006 where he hopes to finally repeat. "In these nine years I have matured a lot, it has been a huge experience," recalled Ullrich. "And now the squad will support me 100%. The route this year does not favor me, but like usual I will go to the Tour and be at my strongest to go for a win."

Read:
Ulle to Race Giro with Eye on Tour, 25 November
Ulle For the France-Deutschland Double, 18 November
Ulle Tuned-In for Giro Presentation, 14 November
2006 Giro d'Italia Welcomes Jan Ullrich, 13 October

Basso Cracks Winter Record

Bjarne Riis and his Team CSC squadra are deep into their first true training camp, based in Lucca (Toscana). Yesterday Riis, Team Manager, took the boys to the foot of the Monte Serra to perform an annual test. The Monte Serra is a proving ground for many cyclists in Toscana and also for Team CSC during their January camp. Ivan Basso will often come to Monte Serra alone during the season to test himself on difficult 6.3K climb.

Yesterday Basso (28) cracked his personal best wintertime record with a time of 16'40", 30 seconds faster than last January's time of 17'30". (His fastest ascent of the Monte Serra is 16'10", before the start of the 2005 Tour de France.) "Every year I depart with a higher level. This confirms that at 28 years I am near full physical maturity," said the Varesino. "Above all I am satisfied with my new time because it is very good considering of the small amount of training and that I am currently three kilograms over my ideal weight of 69."

Riis started the CSC squadra at the foot of the Monte Serra and let the boys duke it out. The selection was made and soon there were only Iñigo Cuesta, Nicki Sørensen, Brian Vandborg, David Zabriskie and Basso. Then by the last kilometer it was only Zabriskie and Basso, and il Americano actually topped the Italian's time. Bravo Zabriskie. He is further advanced in winter form than Basso because his immediate aim will be in late February at the Tour of California. Basso's goals are conquering the Giro d'Italia in May and then Tour de France in July.

Read:
Team CSC Train and Race in California, 12 January

The Spring Program for Basso

Ivan Basso (Team CSC) is mapping out his 2006 spring route that will lead him to the Giro d'Italia (6 - 28 May). The Varesino will be based on the coast in Lido di Camaiore (Toscana) until 24 January then he will depart for the last CSC training camp. The Danish Squadra will meet and train in Solvang, California (10 - 21 February) before the start of the Tour of California.

The Italian Stallion will not debut in Cali, but back in his home country at the Milano-Torino (4 March). From the finish of the classic in Torino it will be the Giro di Lucca (6 March), Tirreno-Adriatico (8 - 14 March) and maybe a start in the Milano-Sanremo (18 March).

Read:
Basso Scouts Giro TT in Pontedera, 5 January
Italian Stallion Basso for 2006, 3 January
Corsa Rosa for Italian Stallion (Basso), 5 December
2006 Giro d'Italia Route Unfolded, 12 November
Ivan Basso Interview: King of Denmark on Tour and 2006, 21 October

The CSC captain will then shift his focus to races in the north, the Critérium International (25 - 26 March), Route Adélie (31 March), GP Rennes (2 April) and Circuit de la Sarthe (4 - 7 April). In the days after Sarthe Basso will preview the two major TT tests of the Tour, stages 7 and 19. Then it will be La Flèche Wallonne (19 April), Liège-Bastogne-Liège (23 April), and two weeks before the start of the Giro d'Italia in Seraing.

Matt Damon as Lance Armstrong

The preparations are underway for the making of the Lance Armstrong movie. The Texan, who fought back from cancer, is the only cyclist ever to win the Tour de France seven times. A Hollywood film chronicling the cancer battle and race career of Armstrong is coming closer to reality.

Matt Damon has been selected to play Armstrong in the film. The actor had expressed strong desires to Armstrong for the role and it truly interested in the part. The other known name is for the part of Sheryl Crow. Sarah Jessica Parker will play the role of Armstrong's companion and rock star. Other names are yet to be named.

Wednesday Armstrong and Crow will be in South Africa to participate in a short safari. The couple is set to become married at the end of spring, or during the same time as the Ardennes Classics.

Quick-Step Practice Boonen Train

The Quick-Step boys are training in Calpe (Spain) until 21 January. Part of the Belgian squadra is using hot climate of the Costa Blanca to perfect Tom Boonen's sprint lead out. Matteo Tosatto and Guido Trenti are working with the World Champion to further improve their sprint train. Boonen will be making his debut in Qatar on 27 January, but will be building for La Classicissima, Milano-Sanremo (18 March).

Read:
Quick-Step Train in Spain, 6 January
Boonen, With a Little Help from His Quick-Step Friends, 29 December
Quick-Step Train in Bari, 10 December

14 January News ...