BiciRace.com :: News :: January 2006

News :: January 2006

27 January 2006

Better Condition for Boonen in Qatar

Boonen and Crew in Qatar, photo: Quick-Step

Today starts Qatar's biggest cycling event, the Doha International GP, followed by the Tour of Qatar (29 January - 3 February). Tom Boonen (25) traveled with his Quick-Step mates to the sandy country to fine-tune his sprinting before debuting in Europe.

"Winning here does not change much in terms of my sporting palmarès," said Boonen from Qatar. "What will change is my morale, because I would like to have a victory. But most important in these days is to search for better condition and to verify my lead-out train in race conditions."

The World Champion is in Qatar with Steven De Jongh, Matteo Tosatto, Guido Trenti, Kevin Van Impe, Wilfried Cretskens and Kevin Hulsmans. Guiding the boys is Wilfried Peeters, Team DS, along with Johan Museeuw, who handles PR for Quick-Step.

Read:
Boonen Builds Il Treno Quick-Step, 20 January
Quick-Step Practice Boonen Train, 16 January
Boonen Kicks Off with Qatar, 21 December

Basso Waves Gun Towards Danish Tifosi

Following yesterday's article regarding Ivan Basso's appearance in Denmark BiciRace.com received several emails from our friends up north. The Dane's love their cycling and Ivan Basso, who rides for their home team, Team CSC. (Read: Basso on Copenhagen Track)

The Italian will be at the Six Day of Copenhagen (2 to 7 February), along with Giovanni Lombardi, but will not be flexing his muscle. Basso will be on hand to fire the starting gun of the six day event and to pose for photos with the Danish tifosi.

Lombardi, a former Olympic gold medalist, will join forces with Jimmy Madsen to inflict some pain. The Dane, formerly with Team CSC, won the event last year with Jakob Piil.

[BiciRace.com is not perfect, but the Danes are! Now we hope they are just as good with their photos (of Basso and Lombardi) as they are with their fact checking!]

Laszlo Bodrogi for Hour Record

Ondrej Sosenka (Acqua & Sapone) will have some competition for his Hour Record. Laszlo Bodrogi (Crédit Agricole) has announced that he intends to smash Sosenka's record. The Hungarian will have to ride faster than 49.700K per hour to overthrow the Czech.

Bodrogi (29) is expected to carry out some wind tunnel testing during the season and then attempt the record sometime after the Tour de France. Bodrogi might have to cover more than 49.700K, Sosenka (30) is also planning an attempt to better his own record.

BiciRace.com salutes Bodrogi and Sosenka. You guys rock and we hope to see more professionals going for this blue ribbon event.

Read:
Ondrej Sosenka and Acqua & Sapone Update, 19 December
Magnus Backstedt was 8K Short of Hour Record, 30 October
Magnus Backstedt Ready To Rock Hour Record, 29 October
50K/hr for Ondrej Sosenka in 2006, 21 October
Backstedt Goes For Hour Record, 1 October
Ondrej Sosenka Breaks Boardman's Hour Record, 20 July

Coppi e Bartali Confirms 25 Teams and 200 Cyclists

Settimana Ciclistica di Coppi e Bartali will take place from 21 to 25 March, in Emilia-Romagna. Yesterday race organizers, Gruppo Sportivo Emilia, confirmed two more teams to the original list of 23: Ag2R Prévoyance and Phonak. With the added teams there are now 25 teams, the maximum allowed under UCI regulations, for a total of 200 cyclists.

The stage race starts from Riccione and concludes five days later in Sassuolo. The other ProTour teams down for the start are Lampre-Fondital, Liquigas and Milram (Italian), Davitamon-Lotto and Quick-Step (Belgian), Gerolsteiner and T-Mobile (German), Team CSC (Danish) and Saunier Duval-Prodir (Spanish).

Read:
Teams for 2006 Coppi e Bartali, 13 January

Rumsas and Wife Face Frey's Music

Raimondas Rumsas and his wife Edita have been handed a four month suspended sentence by a French court for possession and import of doping products. In addition the French gave Edita a €3000 fine.

The court (in Bonneville) handed down its verdict three and a half years after Edita Rumsas was caught. Signora Rumsas was stopped at the French border with a trunk of illegal drugs immediately after the third place of Raimondas in the 2002 Tour de France. (Cue in song by Glenn Frey, Smuggler's Blues).

26 January News ...