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8 August 2006

9 August News ...

Prime Minister Prodi, a Cyclist

Tip your cloth cycling cap to Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi. The leader of Italy is an avid cyclist; he starting racing when he was a child and continues to ride today in his precious free time. The other day Prodi, riding in the area between Modena and Reggio Emilia, put in 50K on his road steed, yesterday around 70K, and today...

"Below this sun, it is beautiful to pedal and also sweat," said Prodi (67) in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. "Cycling is that way: the more fatigued you are the more relaxed you are."

One of Il Premier's first races was back in 1955, Reggio Emilia-Casina, 27K with 500m of altitude gain; he finished 12th. After a stop he recommenced cycling in the 70's. Over the past thirty years he has ridden with the greats on some of cycling's famed roads: Cipollini, Ballerini, Merckx, Bugno and Bettini, over lo Stelvio, Mortirolo and Zoncolan.

"I rode with Mario Cipollini, who intelligently has found equilibrium in his life, not entirely dedicated to cycling. Ballerini; we started and ended our ride in the rain. ... I have also ridden in lo Stelvio. It was a friendly time trial in 1991, starting from Trafoi. First was Francesco Moser, while I put in a time of two hours and 35 minutes."

Prodi visited some of this year's Giro d'Italia stages and was very impressed with winner Ivan Basso. But since the recent Spanish investigations, he has been left disappointed.

"Ivan Basso had me convinced: having the legs and head to also conquer the Tour de France," continued Prodi. "The doping scandal, where they still don't have a definitive verdict, has left me disappointed. Profoundly. Basso was the image of a clean racer, bread and water. ... Resurrecting Italian cycling. He has been accused, and if all of this is proven untrue there will remain a shroud of suspicion. And this is a shame. Also the manner in which he was sacrificed by his squadra was not great."

Like all of us, Prodi keeps on riding through good and bad times. His is a great leader on and off the bike. [We did not ID the bike, but we can tell you it was Campagnolo equipped (of course) and that Il Premier had his own tire pump (He would change his own flat tire?).]

Ballerini Keeps an Eye on Due Giorni Marchigiana

Franco Ballerini, Italian national DS, is keeping an eye on the racing action. His job is to select and direct the Squadra Azzurra for the upcoming World Championships in Salzburg (24 September), and today he is in Le Marche for the Due Giorni Marchigiana.

In the next 38 days Ballerini will narrow down the possible Squadra Azzurra candidates to 11 (consisting of two reserves). So far the only guaranteed rider is the 2004 Olympic Champion, Paolo Bettini. With Bettini as a leader, Ballerini will possibly build a squadra consisting of two jokers and six workers.

"At this moment I can only confirm Bettini," said Ballerini, a former teammate of Il Grillo. "He is a winning rider and always ready, also he is able to sacrifice himself for others."

"We have to be present in every possible situation, naturally we will need diverse riders but with the level to win the Worlds. Cunego? I will not ask anything from him here or in San Sebastián. We will speak after the Spanish race. ... Danilo [Di Luca] did not go well in Camaiore or Lazio but made a promising test in Matteotti. I will wait for more signals of progression here in the Due Giorni Marchigiana. He has a lot of time, seeing how he will also race the Vuelta in an effort to re-find his best condition."

One name we have not talked about much is Tin-Tin. Davide Rebellin of Gerolsteiner (no he is not Argentinean) is showing some hot form, winning the overall of the Brixia Tour and showing well in the Deutschland Tour. Tin-Tin's palmarès are littered with grand one-day race wins and, if the form is there, he could run away with the rainbow jersey.

"He is a racer of merit," said Ballerini of Rebellin. "... If he is selected then, naturally, he will have an important role."

There are a lot of other Italiani vying for a spot on the Squadra Azzurra; riders like Paolini, Sella, Mazzanti, Ballan, Pozzato, Nocentini, Commesso, Tosatto and Moreni. All of these riders could play an important roll in Salzburg and will need to show well over the next 38 days to be amongst the 11 riders selected by Ballerini.

Read:
Paolini Satisfies Ballerini, 4 August
Ballerini's Squadra Azzurra List, 3 August

Landis Ramps Up Media Campaign

Floyd Landis has turned to the major USA media outlets to go on the attack. Over the last week, the current 2006 Tour de France winner appeared on many television talk shows attempting to explain himself but also shifting blame over to the testing officials.

"I was forced into that situation because of leaks and announcements by the UCI themselves, against their own rules, by the way," Landis said in an interview with ABC's Good Morning America.

Landis is upset with the way the A sample result was known before the B sample was finished with testing. "The second test has been misrepresented in the press, mostly by people who don't understand how this works," continued Landis. "I happen to be one of those people because I learned about this exactly the same time the press did."

Pat McQuaid, president of the UCI, is not impressed with Landis' focus on the circumstances and not the actual results. "We only gave the news of the positive," said the Irishman referring to the A sample's news (released 26 July). "We did not give any names. Landis says that he did not have time to defend himself? Now is the time to do this, in front of the anti-doping authorities in his country. The A and B samples gave the same result; it is up to him to demonstrate otherwise."

Meanwhile, Oscar Pereiro (Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears) looks more and more likely to become the winner of the 2006 Tour de France. Second at 57" to Landis, Pereiro said, "I am waiting for an official fax that will tell me I won the Tour. Then I would like an official yellow jersey ceremony, perhaps in Paris."

Read:
Landis' B is Illin', 5 August
Landis on Booze Binge, 29 July
Landis Wants to Clear Name, 28 July
Tour Positive is Landis, 27 July
Tour de France Positive, 27 July

Gritty Voigt Fights Back in Deutschland

German Jens Voigt (Team CSC) added to his godlike status in Deutschland Tour stage 6 by resisting the Levi-Kash barrage. Voigt, after defending himself against the constant fires of Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner) and Andrey Kashechkin (Astaná) on the Arlberg Pass, retaliated with a gritty sprint; producing a stage win and the right to stay in the yellow leader's jersey.

"Jens knew the last climb, he knew it wasn't steep at the end, so he had just enough power left to catch the leaders and beat them in the sprint. That was simply a world class display," said Team DS Kim Andersen.

Under two kilometers to go, Leipheimer attacked, leaving only Kash to follow. But before the final 1000 meters, Voigt came fighting back. The gritty German bridged the gap with Evgeni Petrov (Lampre-Fondital) trailing on his wheel, and then demoralized the three other riders in the sprint.

Ho, ho, ho... Prior to yesterday's stage nobody, including BiciRace.com, was giving Voigt much of a chance to keep the overall lead. Today, Leipheimer, second overall at 24", will have to pour out all he has in the crono to stop a fiery Voigt. The riders face a 38.2K time trial on the German streets of Bad Säckingen.

2006 Deutschland Tour, 4 - 11 June
Main, Overall Map, Photos, Startlist

93rd Tour de France - presented by , 1 - 23 July

7 August News ...