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16 June 2006

17 June News ...

Gil Does Suisse Double

Spaniard Koldo Gil did the double for his team yesterday in the Tour de Suisse by winning stage 6 and gaining enough time to take the GC lead. The 28 year-old, who spent his first years with Echavarri and Unzúe at Banesto, opened up the throttle on yesterday's elite group. Gil cleared the top of Albula and held his 35" advantage on the final 10K downhill.

It was an important day out for Gil's Saunier Duval-Prodir squadra. Their secondary sponsor, Prodir, is Swiss and as a team it is always important to impress the ones paying the bills in their own backyard. Gil's move would not have been possible without the footwork of his mates: Zaugg, Cañada and Gomez Marchante, all of whom help control a raging Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile) for Gil's benefit.

Gil holds the GC lead with 34" over Jörg Jaksche (Astaná-Würth) and 54" over Ullrich. His concerns are on the German in third: "At the Euskal Bizikleta I won the final time trial but with an Ullrich here it is another race. I will try to gain more time tomorrow, I need at least a minute on Ullrich before the crono and then on that Sunday I will have to fly!"

Mauro Gianetti, Team Manager, hopes right the results of two years ago: "In 2004 we were in a similar situation with Fabian Jeker, who lost the race overall by one second to Ullrich. We hope that this year the situation will be reversed, even if Jan is out of this world."

The riders face two more "easier" days in the mountains that are not likely to drastically alter the classification and then it is that final 31K time trial. It is not a dead flat test, more rolling, so riders like Gil and Jaksche may have their opportunities. It will not be a comfortable day for the duo as Ullrich is likely to go full gas and repeat his 2004 win.

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

Cunego Confirms Tour

At a sports meeting yesterday in Milano, Damiano Cunego confirmed that he will be riding the Tour de France with his Lampre-Fondital squadra. The 24 year-old will make his first appearance in the Grand Boucle but it will be at a cost, Cunego has scrapped his plans of competing in the World Championships.

Damiano Cunego is growing up. Only two years ago, at the young age of 22, he won the Giro d'Italia, followed with a grand win in the Giro di Lombardia. Last year il Veronese was faced with a learning curve, becoming a new dad and also suffering with mononucleosis, while this year, after a time trial pounding from Basso, saw Cunego end the Giro on an upward rise.

"I had in my mind to race the Vuelta in preparations for the Worlds but in the end I decided it would be better to race the Tour de France," Cunego said in Milano. "I have never competed in the Tour and I can't continue to skip it. This is really the appropriate year to go and race even if it takes away my chances of competing in the World Championships."

Cunego claims that at his young age there will plenty more chances to race and win the World Championships. BiciRace.com disagrees with this line of thought, because Cunego never knows how the race could unfold; there could be the right escape or attack that would give him the rainbow stripes on his jersey for the remainder of his life. Paolo Bettini has been trying for years to win the World Championships and has always come up short but he takes every chance he can to race the event.

"After the Tour I will race some classics like San Sebastián and Zurich, then that is it," commented Cunego on his fall plans. "I raced all of the spring, I will do the Giro and the Tour but 24 September is a long way to go. There will be other Worlds, also harder than this one, which does not seem to be that difficult to me."

Cunego is 100% focused on le Tour, he is heading to Livigno (Lombardia) with Paolo Tiralongo to take in some high altitude training. The duo will remain for a week and ride some of the famed mountain passes, such as Passo dello Stelvio.

"I don't have doubts in my abilities over a three week course. At the Tour I will race to gain experience and then maybe next year hopefully I might be able to win," Cunego continued. "I will need my energy in the last week, when the mountains arrive. For the first 10 days I will remain calm and not worry about the crazy fight for GC during the sprint stages. For this first time I will be content to be a protagonist in some of the beautiful mountain stages, like the stage to Alpe d'Huez."

Team Manager, Giuseppe Saronni, and Team DS, Giuseppe Martinelli, have narrowed down the Lampre-Fondital riders for the 93rd Tour de France. The riders who will race are Bennati, Ballan, Bruseghin, Vila, Cunego and Commesso, while the other three posts will be announced after the Tour de Suisse.

Two More Quick-Step Years for Bettini

Paolo Bettini has renewed his contract for two more years with the Belgian squadra, Quick-Step, with whom he has won 55 races and three World Cups. It was not an easy decision for Il Grillo Livornese, who had lucrative offers from T-Mobile and Lampre-Fondital, but in the end decided to stay in the formation of Patrick Lefevere.

The Olympic Champion, Bettini, will continue to divide his racing goals with the World Champion, Tom Boonen. Lefevere will have to work with the Italian and Belgian to ensure they both have their chances in the Classics they love. Il Grillo's final race could likely be the 2008 Olympics where he will try to defend his title; meanwhile today he is expected to abandon the Tour de Suisse to prepare for the Italian national championships.

Cipo Dances with the Tax Man

Retired cyclist, Super Mario Cipollini, is facing charges of tax invasion. The former World Champion, who actually has residence in of the Principality of Monaco to avoid such problems, is being investigated for the tax years of 2002 to 2004.

Massimo Martini, tax attorney and representative for Toscana, does believe that Super Mario is free of tax payments. "It is not so," said Martini. "He lives in Monte Carlo but has his family in Italy, also a baby that goes to school here."

15 June News ...