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22 August 2006

23 August News ...

Bettini Sides with Moser: Less Medical CertificatesM

Francesco Moser, President of the CPA (Association of Professional Cyclists), over the weekend commented on the use of medical certificates in the sport of cycling. Italian Moser is concerned that some riders are taking advantage of the system, using medical certificates too frequently to allow the use of certain, normally prohibited, substances.

"If a substance is prohibited, it is prohibited for everyone and not those who rush to search for medical consent," said Moser to La Gazzetta dello Sport. "The medical certificates for the restricted substances have to disappear. ... We need more controls, both surprised and not."

Olympic Champion Paolo Bettini agrees with the Italian cycling legend. Bettini, like Moser, sees the use of medical certificates being abused. Often we see riders who rush to find a certificate after testing positive for a drug, a situation where the UCI should be more thorough.

"I will make an example," said Il Grillo Livornese. "If one has a serious problem, maybe tendonitis, they have to take an injection [of cortisone] and a doctor needs to assume responsibility. But tendonitis is gone after two to three injections. While, there are some riders that from January to February fill their books with health certificates. And the UCI, mistakenly, is leaving this alone."

If this sounds familiar it should. A year and a half a go, former Kelme rider Jesus Manzano clearly described to the press how he was continuously injected with cortisone during the 2003 Vuelta a España to "help" the tendonitis in his knee.

Italian Races and Vuelta

The GP Nobili (tomorrow), GP Industria e Commercio (Thursday), Giro del Veneto (Saturday) and the Vuelta a España (Saturday through 17 September). This week is a run of Italian races, followed by the three-week Spanish Tour.

The 9th Gran Premio Nobili Rubinetterie, won the last two years by Damiano Cunego, takes place tomorrow in Arona (Lombardia, on Lago di Maggiore). The riders will face 11 circuits of 16.8K for a total of 184.8K before the finish on Corso della Repubblica. 176 riders are signed up to race, including Garzelli, Pellizotti, Sella, Baliani and Ukrainian Pidgornyy.

Thursday is the 35th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio in Carnago (Lombardia). The parcours, 180K, consists of 11 circuits of 16.4K, each "giro" covering the harsh Castelseprio climb. 21 teams, or 167 riders, are lining up, including Garzelli, Fränk Schleck (winner of Amstel Gold and Alpe d'Huez stage), Zanini, Bonomi, Bossoni, Grillo, Pidgornyy and Brazilian Fischer.

Saturday starts the Vuelta a España but in Italia will be the historical Giro del Veneto. The race, in its 78th year, starts from Padova and ends in Thiene after 199.8K; covering four categorized mountains (the Cà Vecchia repeated twice). Astarloa and Team Milram pulled out, but there will still be 16 teams lining up, including Lampre-Fondital with Damiano Cunego.

Saturday, you will also want to focus on the 7.2K team time trial in Spain, the race will form stage one of the 21-stage Vuelta a España. Some of the Italians lining up include Bettini, Di Luca, Rebellin and Petacchi (the first three honing form for the World Championships), while two interesting "Spanish" teams to watch will be Astaná and Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears. Astaná, with Alexander Vinokourov, may or may not be allowed to start the Grand Tour, while Caisse packs the exciting duo of Oscar Pereiro (likely Tour de France winner) and Alejandro Valverde.

Boonen Takes 20th at Home

"Incredible," said World Champion Tom Boonen of Quick-Step after winning Eneco Tour of Benelux stage 5, his 20th win of 2006. All the more special was the fact that Boonen won in Balen, his hometown before relocating to Monaco last winter, where there were 15,000 tifosi screaming for their hometown hero. "Not even last year, when I returned home [from Madrid] with the World Championship jersey, was there so many people."

The third success in the Eneco Tour and the 20th of this season, making a total of 56 career wins for the 25 year-old. Boonen's white World Champion jersey was slightly soiled, when the later half of the race was greeted with a Flemish downpour.

"I am emotional for this Flemish victory," confessed Boonen. "It was not a simple stage. The rain complicated everything. I am not a kamikaze like the other sprinters, but the work of my teammates made my life easier."

For more information on yesterday's stage, please read our Eneco Tour of Benelux stage 5 report.

Juan Carlos Dominguez Fails Dope Test

Spaniard Juan Carlos Dominguez (Unibet.com), one of 38 riders tested in the early morning before the start of Eneco Tour stage 5, was not allowed to race due to a high red blood cell count. The result of the dope test indicates that Dominguez might be "hitting up" the EPO (Erythropoietin), and while the results are finalized he will be stopped for a mandatory 15 days.

BiciRace.com remembers the 35 year-old from Groningen, when he took the prologue and Maglia Rosa in the 2002 Giro d'Italia. That day in Holland Dominguez was riding in the green colors of Phonak, the Swiss squadra he raced for in 2002 and 2003 and the same squadra that has a rash of riders linked to doping investigations.

Dominguez, this year racing for Belgian squadra Unibet.com, looks to be facing the end of his career. Stay tuned in the next few days to see what kind of reason, if any, is offered up by the Spaniard.

Teams: Kelme (1995-1997), Vitalicio Seguros (1998-2000), iBanesto.com (2001), Phonak (2002-2003), Saunier Duval-Prodir (2004) and Unibet.com (2006).

Beppe Turbo Finishes Season with Crash

After a crash in stage three of the Regio Tour, it was determined that Giuseppe Guerini (T-Mobile) suffered a hairline fracture in his left collarbone. Guerini, 36 years-old, will not be operated on, but for three weeks he will wear a sling to keep his collarbone in place.

"As far as we can tell now, there's no need for an operation," said T-Mobile doctor Andreas Schmid. "Since the fracture is not displaced, we can expect a speedy recovery."

Not "speedy" enough for Beppe Turbo. The timing of the fracture means that Guerini will hang up his bike and end his 2006 season.

There is no new news regarding the future of Il Bergamasco; his contract, like the other riders of T-Mobile, will be made clear in the coming days, with the European arrival of new Team Manager, American Bob Stapleton.

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

21 August News ...