BiciRace.com :: News :: April 2006

News :: April 2006

15 April 2006

Boogerd is Beer Race Man - Guiding Dekker

Boogerd for Beer Race, photo: Rabobank

The Dutch Tifosi will go nuts for their team, Rabobank, on Sunday in the 41st Amstel Gold Race. The Orange squadra has been around for years, establishing itself as 'Holland's Team', making tomorrow's race the highlight of the season for all the Dutch tifosi.

Wednesday Rabobank covered 200K of Amstel's parcours, and it quickly became clear that there is an enormous pressure on the shoulders of the Dutch squadra. The training run looked like a race when a large fleet of press vehicles followed the boys. When Michael Boogerd flatted on the Koning van Spanje, three photographers and a camera crew went at him. "Normally they only do that when you're in a winning position, not when you have a flat tire," joked Boogerd.

Pretzel Parcours for Amstel Gold Race

Boogerd is the Beer Race man: he won the event in 1999 and has finished on the podium five times, four of which he was the runner-up. E. Dekker, T. Dekker, Weening, De Groot, Posthuma, Freire and Flecha will form the rest of the Rabo line-up, which looks to be the strongest in years, which should help ease the pressure on Boogerd.

"The boys have respect of my palmarès," said Dutch Boogerd (33), who is helping guide 21 year-old Thomas Dekker. "I usually stay in contact with Thomas, more so than others, like Weening. Thomas knows all my results by memory. He told me in our hotel how he, at 13 years-old, he bust into tears I finished sixth in the 1998 World Championships in Valkenburg. Thomas will come to me with any of his problems."

Rabobank last won their home race in 2001 with Dutchman Erik Dekker. BiciRace.com wishes the boys the best of luck.

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Milram without Favorites in Amstel

Sunday's Amstel Gold Race will be a chance for Milram's lesser known riders to have a chance at glory. The Italian/German squadra will be without their big stars: Petacchi, Zabel and Celestino.

Mirko Celestino, after crashing out of Paris-Nice with a shoulder injury, will start in the Rund um den Henninger Turm on 1 May. He will be joined by German Erik Zabel, currently only focusing on home races, who will also start in Rund um Köln on 17 April. Alessandro Petacchi, preparing for Giro d'Italia stage win glory, will take part in the Rund um Köln and Oddset-Rundfahrt (19 - 23 April) before the start of his home Tour on 6 May.

Who will be the squadra for the Amstel Beer Race? Milram will send the following eight riders: Maarten Den Bakker, Sergio Ghisalberti, Andriy Grivko, Maxim Iglinsky, Alberto Ongarato, Fabio Sacchi, Alessandro Vanotti and Giovanni Visconti.

Ballan Builds ProTour Points in Amstel

Alessandro Ballan (Lampre-Fondital) will line-up in Sunday's Amstel Gold Race to possibly win, but also to build points in the ProTour competition. The white ProTour jersey is currently held by Tom Boonen (Quick-Step), with 129 points, 24 ahead of Ballan at 105 points.

Ballan has been a player in all of the ProTour events that he has participated in this year: third in Tirreno-Adriatico, eighth in Milano-Sanremo, fifth in Tour of Flanders and third in Paris-Roubaix. "Alessandro will not worry of victory, but he will search to make a good placing and possibly take ProTour points," said Fabrizio Bontempi, Team DS.

Lampre-Fondital Squadra for Amstel: Alessandro Ballan, Matteo Carrara, Salvatore Commesso, Giuliano Figueras, Marco Marzano, Ruggero Marzoli, Evgeni Petrov and Gorazd Stangelj

Merckx Dreams of Liège

Merckx Dreams of Liège, photo: Phonak

Axel Merckx (Phonak) dreams of victory in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and he will use the Amstel Gold Race as a way to build his form for next Sunday. "Right now I am afraid that I will only be 'normal' in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, but I aspire to win," said the Belgian.

The 33 year-old continued in the Paris-Nice, sick, in order to help teammate Floyd Landis win: "It was my own fault, but I refused to give in and spent the last two days ill. Now I am paying the costs in 'my week'," said Merckx, referring to the Ardennes Week, which includes Amstel, la Flèche Wallonne and Liège.

"I was dead at the start of the Tour of Flanders, but I went to help the team. Afterwards I was able to put in some good solitary training at home in Monaco."

It could be the last chance for a Liège win for the Belgian, he may retire at the end of this year, "I will decide later on in the season, after the Tour de France."

Cunego for Oro and Trentino

Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Fondital) will race in tomorrow's Giro d'Oro followed by Giro del Trentino (18 - 21 April). Il Veronese will seek to refine his form before the start of his season's main goal, il Giro d'Italia on 6 May.

The races are special for Cunego: in 2002 he won his first professional race with the Giro d'Oro, in 2004 he took victory in Trentino before going on to win the 2004 Giro. The Giro del Trentino will be a race to keep your eyes on, it is always a good indicator of who will win the Giro's Maglia Rosa.

14 April News ...