BiciRace.com

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

22 June 2006

23 June News ...

T-Mobile Names Nine-Man Tour Team

T-Mobile has announced the men who will back Jan Ullrich in his quest for the Maillot Jaune. Yesterday, team manager Olaf Ludwig and team DS Rudy Pevenage finalized the final four spots on the nine-man squadra, going to Giuseppe Guerini, Matthias Kessler, Oscar Sevilla and Patrik Sinkewitz. The four will join the core riders that were selected in January: Serhiy Honchar, Andreas Klöden, Eddy Mazzoleni, Michael Rogers and Jan Ullrich.

Lorenzo Bernucci was the noticeable name left off the squadra. The Italian, who won a stunning Tour stage under rain last year, joined the team over the winter mainly for the Classics but with aspirations of making the Tour team. His slot was given to Sevilla who just came off an overall win in the mountainous Vuelta a Asturias. Pevenage explains, "In the end we opted for another pure climber over a so-called rouleur."

Ullrich is convinced that Klöden will come into form for the Tour, "Andreas is a brick, he will find his best form." Klöden suffered an early season training crash and a subsequent surgery, but showed glimpses of form in the Tour de Suisse. Ludwig agrees with Ullrich regarding the 2004 Tour runner-up, "We will be able to count on him when the Tour hits the mountains."

The Tour de France starts in Strasbourg on 1 July with a 7.1K prologue. Ullrich, with the backing of T-Mobile, should have one of his best opportunities in recent years to win La Grand Boucle.

Saunier Duval-Prodir Tour Squadra

Saunier Duval-Prodir will be one of the most dynamic teams at the Tour de France, with options to play on every type of road. David Millar is fresh and ready to blast the time trials, Gilberto Simoni will use his class for the mountain stages and Gómez Marchante has a great chance of placing high in the general classification.

The complete squadra, directed by Joxean Matxin and Sabino Angoitia, will be: Gilberto Simoni, David Millar, José Ángel Gómez Marchante, David Cañada, Rubén Lobato, Francisco José Ventoso, Riccardo Riccò, David De La Fuente and Christophe Rinero

Pippo in Contract Negotiations

Since the re-signing of Paolo Bettini for two more years at Quick-Step, it appears less likely that Signor Sanremo, Filippo Pozzato, will remain on the same team. The Quick-Step squadra already has World Champion, Tom Boonen, and Bettini in their ranks, making it very tight for the winner of the 2006 Milano-Sanremo, both tactically and financially. The 24 year-old's contract expires at the end of this season and he has been forced to look elsewhere.

There are two top-flight teams who are very interested in Pippo: French Cofidis and German T-Mobile. Cofidis has made their offer to il Vicentino: a 1.3 million euro annual contract with free reign in the Classics and the opportunity to sign Pippo's key supporting riders. T-Mobile, emerging as a possible home for Pippo in the last few days, could have a better offer. The deal is secretive but could see Pippo join the pink posse along with his friend, Guido Trenti, where they will receive solid Classics backing from riders like Klier, Bernucci, Ivanov and Kessler.

The courting of Pippo, a young and attractive rider for any team, will unfold over the next month, but for now there are races. Pippo will race this Sunday in Gorizia at the Italian National Championships before going on to the Tour de France. After finishing second in the last two years, Bettini in 2003 and Gasparotto in 2005, the Italian hopes to finally take the Maglia Tricolore. Pippo considers Daniele Bennati (Lampre-Fondital) and Cristian Moreni (Cofidis) the hot favorites, but he will give all he can to win. There is a good opportunity that the Italian will take the Tricolore to France and his new squadra in 2007.

Full Gas at Tour for Liquigas

Liquigas Team Manager Roberto Amadio announced the nine men that will contest the 93rd Tour de France. The Italian squadra is headed by three proven champions, Danilo Di Luca, Stefano Garzelli and Magnus Backstedt, and backed by solid supporters, Luca Paolini, Michael Albasini, Patrick Calcagni, Kjell Carlström, Matej Mugerli and Manuel Quinziato. The team's Director Sportifs will be Stefano Zanatta and Mario Scirea.

"We'll start with a team for both the flat stages and in the mountain stages," confirmed Amadio. "We are aiming to make a good presence in the Tour but we know well that, at the Tour, every day comes and is raced like the World Championships. ... Our objective will be a stage win and to have the team present in the key moments of the race."

Before the Grande Boucle, the Liquigas riders will participate in their various national championships. Garzelli and Di Luca will fight for the right to wear the Maglia Tricolore this Sunday. The pair is riding strong, and they will form a strong alliance with teammate and current Italian Champion, Enrico Gasparotto. BiciRace.com thinks Garzelli will win.

"It is a circuit that fits both mine and Garzelli's qualities," said Di Luca. "Liquigas will have a good representation; the victory will be ours to take. One key rival? Bettini!"

Commesso Crashes in Training

Former Italian National Champion, Salvatore Commesso (Lampre-Fondital), collided with a car while training and was taken to the hospital for examinations. A microfracture in his left collarbone and scrapes on his shoulder mean that Totò will be in a sling until Monday, when a full evaluation will be given. After Monday's evaluation Totò will know if he will be able to race the Tour de France.

BiciRace.com wishes Commesso the best of luck.

21 June News ...