BiciRace.com

• News
• Races
• Photos
• Interviews
• Inside Scoop
• Gear & Gadgets

31 May 2006

1 June News ...

Basso Faces Spanish and Simoni

Since the Spanish bust, dubbed "Operation Puerto", there have been lots of rumor and innuendo, mainly involving who is and who isn't on the list. Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes, who is alleged to be one of the key figures in supplying doping and blood transfusions to cyclists, was supposedly found with a list of 200 riders who were linked to his business.

One of the big names that keeps coming up is the 89th Giro d'Italia winner, Ivan Basso. The news out of Spain sadly seems to be a case of picking the hottest rider of the moment, in this case Basso, and making news stories.

Basso denies any association with Fuentes and sees the accusation as an unfortunate price of success. "I am disgusted," said the Italian (28). "With Riis I will decide how to defend myself against the persons that have improperly used my name during such a beautiful moment in my personal and professional life."

The Giro champion, who is busy at home with his new baby boy, also faced accusations from Gilberto Simoni. The two had a falling out stemming from stage 20 to Aprica. Gilberto Simoni assumed, after doing a lot of work in the two-man break, that Basso would let him win the stage. Matters became even more serious when after the stage, which Basso won, Simoni accused his escape companion of asking for around €10,000 for the stage victory.

Basso continued, "After the accusations of Simoni, I am forced to reply like a suspect in speculation that is totally unfounded. I am very bitter because I don't deserve all of this [also referring to the Spanish investigation]. Evidently this is the price that I have to pay for having dominated the Giro."

The Basso-Simoni issue should be dropped according to the BiciRace.com staff. The news is seemingly being used to fill the post-Giro void and is not that worthy of further investigation. However, now that the news is brought to light the FCI (Federazione Ciclistica Italiana) is forced to investigate. Armando Forgione will listen to the claims of Simoni on Monday at 14.30. Forgione expects the matter to closed in two to three weeks.

Simoni and Basso will face each other tonight at the Criterium dei Circuiti GP di Salò (Lombardia). It is an unofficial race that will be contested by 30 invited cyclists, including Freire, Astarloa, Bramati, Velo and Bertagnolli.

More Basso-Simoni and Operation Puerto News:
Würth Takes Liberty Seguros, 30 May
Simoni Attacks Basso, 28 May
Beautiful Day for Non-Alien Basso, 28 May
Fuentes Spends Night in Jail, Others Free, 27 May
Liberty Saga Continues, 26 May
Liberty Revokes Sponsorship, 25 May
Saiz Free After Doping Interrogation, 24 May

Ghisallo Museum Receives Blessing from Pope

This morning Pope Benedetto XVI has given his blessing to the new Ghisallo Museum. From the Vatican, the Pope gave his official acknowledgement to the museum. Perched above Lago di Como, the new home of all the cycling memorabilia, which is currently being housed in the Santuario della Madonna del Ghisallo, will be open to cycling fans this September.

Read:
Di Luca's ProTour Jersey to Ghisallo, 27 April
Santuario della Madonna del Ghisallo Reopened, 12 April
Santuario della Madonna del Ghisallo Closed, 19 January
Marco Pinotti Donates Italian TT Jersey to Ghisallo, 9 December
ProTour and Renewal for Danilo Di Luca, 18 October

Rudy Pevenage on Giro and Tour

T-Mobile DS, Rudy Pevenage, has come away from the Giro d'Italia with a good impression of his team. Jan Ullrich added some quality training kilometers, while winning the Pontedera time trial in the process, and Frantisek Rabon made it through his first Grand Tour.

"The Giro went very well for Jan," said Pevenage when interviewed by T-Mobile. "He was the clear winner in the time trial, was very active throughout the race and was able to build on his form in the mountains. ... Looking ahead to the Tour de France we are on the right track and we will continue to follow our preparations plan."

"Frantisek really surprised me," continued Pevenage, in regards to T-Mobile's new 22 year-old signing. "He has a great time trialing engine and I am sure he can go on to achieve plenty as long as he continues to work hard on improving himself."

Ivan Basso won the Giro with a large gap over his key rivals but will likely find affairs at the Tour de France a lot stiffer. The Belgian Director Sportif added, "I have to say that I expected more from the competition. Riders like Danilo di Luca, Gilbert Simoni and Damiano Cunego came to the Giro with the goal of winning it. But they couldn't get close to Basso. For sure Basso had really good form and rode a very clever race. But I firmly believe that the competition at the Tour de France will be much stiffer."

30 May News ...