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News :: June 2006

14 June 2006

Basso Fine Tuning in Toscana

Basso at the '06 Giro, photo: CyclingTime.com

Ivan Basso is refining his form in Toscana for the 2006 Tour de France: Yesterday it was six hours of riding with CSC teammates Bobby Julich and Volodymir Gustov and today it will be a long outing with Bjarne Riis, Team Manager.

The 2006 Giro d'Italia winner has just come off a mini-camp in the French Alps and is using this time in Toscana working out any glitches in the system. Basso and Riis will particularly focus on time trialing in the next two days to make sure that the Italian is ready for the 100+ kilometers of time trialing in France. Sunday will be a chance to test the crono form, Basso will join seven of his mates to race the Eindhoven Team TT.

"I am trying to listen to my sensations, making modifications if necessary to training," said Basso. "Everything to this point has been better in regards to 2005 and I am certain that the work that I have done will enable me to race a great Tour."

An Astaná-Würth Win from Ángel Vicioso

Ángel Vicioso (Astaná-Würth) took victory in Tour de Suisse stage 4 by hanging tough ahead of a hard charging peloton. The Spaniard, escaping with David Herrero (Euskaltel-Euskadi) with only six kilometers remaining, gave his newly organized squadra their first win.

"This victory comes at the best moment for the team and, especially, for me, because we needed it," commented the 29 year-old after the stage. "After the last events, I have to thank especially Würth for having continued trusting in us."

Only one month ago Vicioso and his teammates were racing under the title "Liberty Seguros-Würth", but then there was a large Spanish doping investigation which involved some members of the squadra. Liberty has since stepped out of its role as sponsor, making way for a consortium of Kazakh companies, with the capital of Kazakhstan lending its name, Astaná.

The troubles did not stop the desire of the team's riders to race and win. Ángel Vicioso took his opportunity after a day which was filled with failed escape attempts. The teams of the sprinters had rallied the troops and the stage looked as though it would be decided in a sprint, but Vicioso had other plans...

"I was feeling a lot of force at the end and had thought that I would jump with the first rider to go," Vicioso continued. "David Herrero started with a lot of power and it was difficult for me to catch him, but then we took turns until the end, where I was more cold blooded."

"... Already I had two second places this year, in the Vuelta a Murcia and again in the Euskal Bizikleta. I needed to win in a race as important as the Tour de Suisse, which also is a ProTour race, and in a stage as hard as was today's. I hope that this victory is the first step to begin a new page with our new sponsor."

Astaná-Würth have already decided the riders who will compose the Tour de France squadra, and they have left Vicioso at home. From Switzerland the Spaniard will travel back to the Iberian Peninsula and concentrate on winning the national championships before settling down with Marino Lejarreta, Team DS, to map out the remainder of his season.

2006 Tour de Suisse, 10 - 18 June
Main, Overall Map, Photos, Startlist

Astaná-Würth Names 12-Man Tour Team

As the fires are raging in Spain, Astaná-Würth have released a short list of riders who will dispute the 93rd Tour de France. Yesterday, near the same time as Comunidad Valenciana was told that their wild card invitation had been revoked, Astaná-Würth came forth with their selected Tour riders.

The 12-man list, to be narrowed down after the Spanish Championships, was announced by Marino Lejarreta, Team DS. The riders: Carlos Barredo, Assan Bazayev, Joseba Beloki, Alberto Contador, Allan Davis, Jörg Jaksche, Andrey Kashechkin, Isidro Nozal, Sergio Paulinho, Aitor Osa, Luis León Sánchez and Alexander Vinokourov.

The controversy around Comunidad Valenciana and Astaná-Würth stems from Operación Puerto. Both teams had some of their members drawn into doping investigations last month and the ASO (organizers of the Tour de France) has subsequently given the non-ProTour team the boot. Astaná-Würth has a little more staying power with Alexander Vinokourov in their ranks, ProTour status and that they have already reorganized a lot of their structure in light of the Operación Puerto revelations.

Savoldelli with Operation in September

Paolo Savoldelli (Discovery Channel) did not have the strength he had desired in the Giro d'Italia, finishing fifth. Part of the problem for il Falco Bergamasco was his pollen allergies, which have also hampered his training for the Tour de France.

"I have trained only a little, I have had a slight fever, but I hope that I can put in some hard training for the next ten days," Savoldelli explained to La Gazzetta dello Sport. Instead of being a possible Tour contender, il Bergamasco will likely play a support role to his Disco teammates, Hincapie and Popovych. "For the Tour I will have a hard time racing for the classification."

Savoldelli continued, "In September I will have to have another operation on my nose, I have found out that I have a nasal path that is almost completely obstructed. It is a result from my crash a few years back..."

Simoni Waits for New Baby

Simoni at the '06 Giro, photo: CyclingTime.com

Gilberto Simoni (Saunier Duval-Prodir), third in the Giro d'Italia, is expecting the birth of his second child. Everyday when il Trentino is on the road training and preparing for the Tour de France, he has his mobile phone with him in case he needs to race home to be with his wife.

"Only my wife and I know if it will be a boy or a girl," said Simoni secretively. But his focus is also on La Grand Boucle, "I will go to the Tour for the Alpe d'Huez stage and to help Millar."

Simoni will join the eight other Saunier Duval-Prodir riders in France at the end of this month. The Tour starts on 1 July with a 7.1 kilometer time trial prologue in Strasbourg. The Alpine stages won't rear their head until 17 days later, one day after the rest day, starting with the stage from Gap to l'Alpe d'Huez.

13 June News ...