BiciRace.com :: News :: February 2006

News :: February 2006

14 February 2006

Gianluca Bortolami Retires after 16 Years

Bartolami with Bonomi, photo: Capture-The -Peloton.com

Gianluca Bortolami (37) will no longer strap on his racing shoes for the classics - The Italian has officially retired after 16 years in the professional ranks. His palmarès sparkle with stunning wins: a stage at the Tour de France, Züri Metzgete (1994), Giro del Piemonte (1997), Tour of Flanders (2001), Tour de Romandie (2002 and 2004) and the World Cup (1994).

Bortolami, although getting long in the tooth, retired mainly due to heart problems. The Italian suffers from inflammation of the heart muscle, or myocarditis, which leaves scars on the heart and causes an irregular heart beat.

"I thank the squadra and in particular the Galbusera family... All the sponsors and above all [Giuseppe] Saronni... They all had trust in me and the hope that I would could continue my career as a racer," said the Milanese (Lombardia). "I would like to give thanks to the technical staff and my teammates for their great collaboration over the years. ... This forced retirement leaves me longing for the sport that I have always loved. I hope that in the future I can perform another role in the cycling environment."

Past teams:
Diana (1990), Colnago (1991), Lampre (1992-1993), Mapei (1994-1996), Festina (1997-1998), Vini Caldirola (1999-2000), Tacconi Sport (2001-2002), Vini Caldirola (2003), Lampre (2004), Lampre-Caffita (2005)

Dude, Where Is My Sprint?

Tifosi are anticipating the first 2006 sprint showdown between Alessandro Petacchi and Tom Boonen. The two are both partaking in the Vuelta a Andalucía and are bound to butt heads in the coming three stages. The first two stages have been dominated by non-ProTour teams but stage 3 (174K) is likely to come down to a sprint.

Ale-Jet and Tornado Tom are the mix-masters when it comes down to the final 10K. Their teams, Milram and Quick-Step, slip into full train mode and whip the pace so high that only the strong are left standing. The two have yet to have a confrontation in 2006 but have proven equally as strong in separate races. BiciRace.com is pulling for a sprint royale on the hot streets of Córdoba ... Stay tuned.

Read:
Sprint on Hold in Andalucía, 13 February
Petacchi and Boonen for Andalucía, 11 February

Spring is Here: Trofeo Laigueglia

The GP Costa degli Etruschi may have been the first race of the Italian season but the 43rd Trofeo Laigueglia is going to kick us into la Primavera. Amongst the flowers and sun of Riviera Ligure riders like Paolo Bettini and Mirko Celestino will have a first true assessment of their legs for the new season.

Il Grillo has the jump, as witnessed in Port de Sóller of the Vuelta a Mallorca, and is targeting Trofeo Laigueglia. The 31 year-old Olympic champion has never won this race and would like to add it to his list of palmarès. "I want to win Laigueglia, it is my objective. I have always liked this race but up to now my best result has only been a third," said Bettini after his Mallorca win.

BiciRace.com will put down our caffè and Baci d'Alassio to watch the riders hammer over the Passo del Ginestro and the Passo del Balestrino. We are going out on a limb and tipping the Spaniard, Igor Astarloa (Barloworld).

1st Paris-Dakar by Bike

The 7000K Route, photo: Bike-Dreams.com

Feeling frisky? Want to ride across six countries and cover 7,000K? You now have the chance by signing up for the first running of the Paris-Dakar by Bike. The event will be ten weeks, from 10 September to 18 November, with 58 stages taking you from Paris to Dakar (Senegal).

The ride, based upon the world-famous Paris-Dakar motor event, is planned to challenge the participant's physical capabilities and take in some stunning roadside scenery. The organizers will take the riders overa a spectacular route: Starting under the Eiffel Tower in France, crossing Andorra into Spain, over the Straits of Gibraltar by ferry to Morocco, Mauritania and to the most western most point of Africa, Dakar. They have smartly scheduled 12 rest days for you to relax and take in your surroundings.

Rob van der Geest, one of the two organizers, has reported that the registration is going well. They currently have 13 riders signed up from nine different countries, which is making this first running very international. Rob pointed out that for this first year the registration is limited to 30 riders, so sign up now. Here is their cool website: www.bike-dreams.com

13 February News ...