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News :: June 2006

23 June 2006

Simoni Celebrates Baby Boy

Gilberto Simoni, photo: CyclingTime.com

Only a few days before he will depart for the three-week Tour de France, Gilberto Simoni celebrated the birth of his second child. Yesterday Simoni's wife, Arianna, gave birth to Enrico. Their son, named after Gilberto's dad, weighs-in at 4.2Kg and is reported healthy. The family, including three year-old daughter, Sofia, will return home to Palù di Giovo (Trento) today. A huge party will surely take place to celebrate Enrico arrival and Gibo's departure to a successful Tour de France.

BiciRace.com sends our best wishes out to la famiglia Simoni.

Wilier Triestina Celebrates 100 Years of Biz

Lampre's Wilier bike, photo: Bicirace.com

Tonight in Rossano Veneto (Veneto) there will be a party to celebrate one of Italy's famed bike producers: Wilier Triestina. The current frame supplier of Cofidis and Lampre-Fondital started back in 1906 in the town of Bassano del Grappa to supply the growing demand for bicycles after the First World War.

Many years and champions have passed on Wilier Triestina's frames, from Fiorenzo Magni to Marco Pantani, and tonight there will be the current crop of champions to help celebrate 100 years. Current riders, Cristian Moreni, Damiano Cunego, Daniele Bennati, Alessandro Ballan and Serhiy Honchar will join special guests Beppe Martinelli, Silvio Martinello, Renato di Rocco (FCI President) and Alfredo Martini, in a ceremony to honor past, present and future, conducted by Italian commentator, Davide Cassani.

Nuyens Signs for Cofidis

Nick Nuyens will finish his contract with Quick-Step at the end of 2006 and move to French-based Cofidis. Yesterday, the Belgian cyclist signed a two-year deal with Cofidis, estimated to be around €400,000 annually.

"It was a difficult decision to make, to leave a group of friends, but sometimes in life you must make these difficult decisions," said Nuyens. Since turning pro with Quick-Step the 26 year-old has racked-up some important victories, including Het Volk in 2005 and this year's Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne.

Quick-Step Team Manager, Patrick Lefevere, was obviously sorry to be losing one of the riders he helped nurture since 2003 but he is happy for Nuyens future. Lefevere noted: "The offer from Cofidis was too tempting for Nuyens too turn down. It is his decision and we will not hold anything against him. I wish Nuyens the best of luck."

Nuyens will be welcomed by his compatriots on the French squadra, Rik Verbrugghe, Thierry Marichal, Maxime Monfort and Staf Scheirlinckx, and they will make sure the new signing feels at home. The team plans to use Nuyens' talents in the Northern Classics, battling against his current teammate and World Champion, Tom Boonen.

"Nuyens will be our team leader in the Northern Classics," confirmed Cofidis Team Manager, Eric Boyer. "His experience as a leader has been limited but I have faith in him."

Lampre-Fondital Tour Squadra

Lampre-Fondital Team Manager, Giuseppe Saronni, has announced the names of the nine cyclists who will line up for the start of the Tour de France next Saturday in Strasbourg.

The blue and pink riders for le Tour: Damiano Cunego, Alessandro Ballan, Daniele Bennati, Marzio Bruseghin, Salvatore Commesso (pending Monday's medical check), Daniele Righi, Paolo Tiralongo, Tadej Valjavec and Patxi Vila. The reserves are Claudio Corioni and Matteo Carrara.

"We will go to the Tour with a great squadra," comment Saronni. "Cunego will for the first time confront this very difficult race; Bennati will be able to use his speed in the sprints and vie for the Maillot Vert. For the general classification we will count on Valjavec, while all of the other riders will be free to fight for stage wins."

"I am curious to discover the Tour," added Cunego, 24 years-old and fifth-year pro, who will take part in his first Tour de France. "I will race without worrying for the general classification, but instead trying to learn and arrive in the last week with full strength to be a protagonist in some stages."

Time Trial Nationals

The Time Trail Nationals are taking place all over the globe. It is a chance for those riders who are fast against the clock to go for the win and the right to wear their national jersey for one year.

As we reported earlier, Marzio Bruseghin (Lampre-Fondital) took his first win as a professional to become Italy's champion; Up in France, Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis) defended his Blue-White-Red jersey over a 49.2K parcours, 27" in front of Didier Rous (Bouygues Telecom); In Holland Stef Clement (Bouygues Telecom) bettered his second place of last year and secured the Dutch jersey; Gustav Erik Larsson (Française Des Jeux) won in Sweden; Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Team CSC) took Norway's title; Over a 45K parcours, Piotr Mazur (Saunier Duval-Prodir) repeated in Poland; Hour Record holder, Ondrej Sosenka (Acqua & Sapone), easily won in the Czech Republic; Matej Jurco (Milram) won in Slovenia; and finally, Laszlo Bodrogi (Crédit Agricole) killed in Hungary.

BiciRace.com will have an update on the crono champions in the coming days.

93rd Tour de France - presented by , 1 - 23 July
Main, Startlist, Classifications, Tour Favorites, Team CSC versus T-Mobile
Stages and Maps, Key Stages, Overall Map
Photos, The Dust Devil's Daily Wrap
Simoni and Saunier Duval-Prodir Updates
2005 Results

22 June News ...