BiciRace.com

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

2 June 2006

3 June News ...

Basso: Giro Complete, Tour Begins

Giro d'Italia champion, Ivan Basso, is enjoying his time in the Maglia Rosa. Last night, completely kitted-out in pink, il Varesino (28) took part in his second post-Giro criterium in Arona. Basso won the unofficial race in front of Gilberto Simoni and Robbie McEwen.

Ivan Basso has become the darling of the Italian public, filling the gap that was left open since 2004, when Damiano Cunego rocketed to fame. The CSC rider seems to have more stability and strength than Cunego, which the Italians are hoping will see him through to Paris and a victory in the Tour de France.

"I stayed home Monday and Tuesday," said Basso. "A good thing because everyone was looking for me, wanted me, calling me... I felt besieged with affection, passion and gratitude. I feel like I am wearing the Maglia Rosa even when I am in a normal shirt or pajamas. I feel fortunate."

Bjarne Riis, CSC Team Manager, and the tifosi are hoping this confidence will be what is needed to win the 2006 Tour de France. This last winter, it was the decision of Basso and Riis, after a huge amount of convincing on the part of the Italian, to go forward and try to conquer both the Giro and Tour. The duo has marked one of the two objectives off their to-do list, now operation Tour de France begins...

"I have not yet been able to think about the Tour," Basso continued. "I will start to do so next week, with a mini-camp in the Alps. The only race that I will do is the Eindhoven team time trial on 18 June. I will not take part in the Italian championships."

"I will do all that I can to be a protagonist at the Tour. The Giro was more adapted to my characteristics than this year's Tour will be. This year at the Giro there were more rivals versus one year ago, but never have there been so many rivals for the Tour. I will not miss Armstrong. The day in which I was happiest was when I had enough of staying behind Armstrong and I finally decided to start attacking... This day was a turning point."

Attention will quickly drift from the pink-colored glory in Italy, and to a yellow July. Team CSC will be regarded as the team to take control of the Tour de France peloton in the early stages. "... The Tour team will not be selected by me. Bjarne Riis will soon make the selection," added Basso.

Even More Basso: DVD

Italian tifosi will not have to wait until 1 July for more Ivan Basso. Demands will be satisfied between now and the Tour de France by the DVD, Il Tiranno Gentile. La Gazzetta dello Sport, head sponsor of the Giro d'Italia, is putting out a Giro tribute DVD in honor of Ivan Basso.

The DVD will feature the most beautiful images of Basso's triumph in this year's Corsa Rosa: the team time trial of Cremona, the win on Passo Luciano to gain the Maglia Rosa, the stamp of authority at Monte Bondone and the final controversial stage over Passo del Mortirolo to Aprica.

Accompanying la Gazzetta dello Sport, Il Tirano Gentile will be at news stands this 15 June.

Ulle to Suisse

Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile) has canceled any doubts. In preparation for the 2006 Tour de France the German will take part in the Tour de Suisse, running from 10 to 18 June.

Ulle, winner of the 1997 Tour, had kept open his June race program for as long as possible, and finally decided to ride the Swiss race instead of the Vuelta Ciclista a Asturias. "It will be four more race days for Jan and he will benefit from the tough Tour de Suisse parcours to sharpen his form," said Olaf Ludwig, Team Manager.

The Tour de Suisse will continue the mountainous racing for Ullrich, who was last in action with stage 19 of the Giro d'Italia. "The fact that I have enjoyed success in this race in the past and that I feel at ease there also influenced my decision," said Ullrich in regards to Suisse.

Having opted for the Tour de Suisse, T-Mobile's Tour de France squadra have now canceled their plans to scout the Tour's alpine stages in June. "The visit would have been purely for training purposes, and that is no longer necessary", commented T-Mobile DS, Rudy Pevenage.

Jan Ullrich will continue with his intensive physiotherapy sessions used to build muscle strength, leading up to the start of the Tour de Suisse. The race will give Ulle a race test with most of his Tour de France squadra, including Andreas Klöden. "I am really looking forward to that," said Ullrich on racing with his compatriot.

Lorenzo Bernucci, Giuseppe Guerini (Italy), Kim Kirchen (Luxembourg), Serguei Ivanov (Russia), Linus Gerdemann and Patrik Sinkewitz (Germany) complete T-Mobile's provisional roster at the nine day tour through Switzerland. The complete roster will be announced by the end of next week.

Van Petegem: "Ciao" to Davitamon-Lotto

Belgian Peter Van Petegem (36) will not continue to ride with Davitamon-Lotto in 2007. The hero of the pavé, who has ridden with the formation since 2002, expressed interests in leaving earlier this spring. His public statements and the desire to build a younger roster have led Davitamon-Lotto to announce that they will not renew Van Petegem's contract.

Van Petegem has not won a race since 2003, but what a race that was: the Belgian, in the World Cup jersey, powered to victory in Paris-Roubaix. His Roubaix victory, following the win in the Ronde Van Vlaanderen, topped a week that any Classics specialist would kill for.

Van Petegem remains a hot commodity, especially in Belgium where he is likely to stay. Van Petegem and Quick-Step Team Manager, Patrick Lefevere, have come public with the news that they are trying to work out an agreement. While back at Davitamon-Lotto, preparations are underway to fill PVP's gap. The team has reached a verbal contract with Leif Hoste, currently riding for Discovery Channel.

Read:
Van Petegem Fractures Collarbone but Courted by Quick-Step, 13 April

Kazakhstan to the Rescue

Along with Würth, Astaná, which is the capital of Kazakhstan, will be the new title sponsor of the defunct Liberty Seguros-Würth team. The new name is officially Astaná-Würth.

Actually, the five largest companies in Kazakhstan will be the ones extending the money (or in this case Tenge) to bankroll the new team. The contract duration is set for three years, with the option to renew for another three.

This news couldn't come at a better time for the riders as they can now focus on the task at hand: winning the Tour de France.
- Paco

1 June News ...