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29 August 2006

30 August News ...

Bettini and Petacchi Cool Worlds Fire

Yesterday we reported of the possible 2006 Squadra Azzurra feud brewing between Alessandro Petacchi and Paolo Bettini. It is a classical Italian pre-Worlds power struggle, like back in the days when Coppi would refuse to ride with Bartali, where Petacchi, building his sprint to top form after a fractured kneecap, feels he deserves a spot on the Italian team but Bettini doesn't want his bid at the world title spoiled.

Bettini (32) had heard that Alessandro Petacchi, leader of the 2005 Squadra Azzurra, is thinking of the World Championships. ("If I demonstrate well here in Spain, I want to be at the Worlds," said Petacchi). Not to thrilled with the idea, Bettini said on Sunday, "It is better that he prepares for [Giro di] Lombardia."

Yesterday, after the finish of Vuelta a España stage 3, the fire had cooled off. Petacchi, who sort of blew his chance at the Worlds rainbow jersey in 2005, was using a softer tone while still wanting a spot on the Squadra Azzurra.

"My candidacy is only an idea," said the 32 year-old. "If I demonstrate that I can go strong, I hope that [Franco] Ballerini will take me into consideration also since I don't think my presence will disrupt the squadra. In any case, I would like to return the work that Bettini did for me last year."

Bettini, Olympic and double Italian Champion, cooled down his tone, probably also realizing that Petacchi will not come on form in time (finishing in the back of the first two Vuelta sprints). Overnight, Il Grillo called Ale-Jet to help understand the sprinter's desires.

"We clarified ourselves," said the Vuelta stage 2 winner. "Between us there is no issue, and I am sorry that he was upset over a phrase that I said in a different context. [Hmm. Maybe Il Grillo meant to say "Paris-Tours" or "Japan Cup" and not "Lombardia."] I did not want to offend him. Petacchi is grand racer, and it is justified that he thinks of the biggest objectives. If in his head he thinks to be able to race the Worlds, it is right that he thinks this way. ... The event between us is closed."

Petacchi reckons that the course could suit his style, and believes if other sprinters (like Freire, Boonen and McEwen) are there then he should be too. In all fairness, Petacchi should look at the parcours again; those two big humps, the Zilling (545m) and Elixhausen (547m), which are to be repeated 12 times, are going to crack all but the strongest. The course is harder than that of Madrid in 2005, where Ale-Jet could not find his runway for takeoff.

Read:
Worlds: Bettini, Paolini, Petacchi and Ballerini, 28 August
Two of Nine Auzzurri: Paolini and Bettini, 19 August
Ballerini: Paolini on the Azzurra Track, 18 August
Paolini Satisfies Ballerini, 4 August
Franco Ballerini Back from Salzburg, 14 December

Operación Puerto: Basso in Roma

Roma is a great place to visit, with the Colosseum and the Spanish Steps, but if you are being asked to present yourself for doping charges, which could spell the end of your sporting career, you would probably like to stay home, and in this case home is Varese. Today in Roma, Ivan Basso, the 2006 Giro d'Italia winner and one of the names associated with the pre-Tour de France fiasco, is facing CONI (Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano) lawyer, Franco Cosenza, in regards to his alleged contact with Spanish Doctor, Eufemiano Fuentes.

Il Varesino (28) is being called to respond to the accusations that stem from the Spanish investigation, Operación Puerto. Investigators found sacks of blood with the name "Birillo" and this, according to the Spanish investigators, is the code name used by Doctor Eufemiano Fuentes ("Birillo" is the name of Basso's dog). Then there were two telephone calls; One 14 May, at 21.46, an intercepted conversation between Labarta, former DS of Comunidad Valenciana, and Fuentes, where Labarta affiliates Basso and José Enrique Gutierrez (Phonak) as clients of Fuentes. Finally there is the fax, hand written by Fuentes, explicitly using the name "Ivan Basso", and sent to Labarta prior to the start of the Giro.

Unfortunately, in the face of all this information, it is hard for the tifosi to see how Ivan Basso did not cheat. Massimo Martelli, lawyer for Basso and an avid cyclist, who was introduced to Basso by Giovanni Lombardi, will try to prove otherwise. Martelli might point to the fact that for 15 years Basso has been a model cyclist, never testing positive in any anti-doping control, never a preventive stop or any other suspected elements of cheating. But 15 years clean cycling does not make up for the stack of evidence that is waiting for Basso in la Città Eterna; let's just hope that at least he stops at a bar to enjoy a famous Roma caffè.

Read:
Basso's Dossier Opened, Ullrich Faces Life, 28 August
Riis Foresees Basso's End with CSC, 23 August
Di Rocco Continues to Support Basso, 21 August
A Damning Fuentes Fax, 18 August
Vuelta Unlikely as Basso's Case Moves Forward, 5 August
Basso Case Arrives in Italy, 4 August
Di Rocco on Basso, 27 July
Operación Puerto: National Federations Receive Names, 26 July
Basso Comments on Spanish Case, 3 July
Bam! Tour Shaken and Basso Gone, 30 June

VDB is Back with Acqua & Sapone

Frank Vandenbroucke is back, this time with Professional Circuit squadra, Acqua & Sapone. Sunday in Bologna, the 31 year-old Belgian signed a contract with Palmiro Masciarelli's squadra that will allow him to ride through the end of 2007. Vandenbroucke will start racing with the Italian water and soap squadra in mid-September.

Friday, we reported that VDB, who lives in Gudo Visconti (near Milano), was racing in local amateur events, using a license with the name "Francesco Del Ponte" and a photo of Tom Boonen. Del Ponte, err VDB said that he needed the training kilometers and the license was a mistake not made by him.

BiciRace.com is excited for our Belgian neighbor's return to the pro level of cycling, especially with the strong Acqua & Sapone squadra.

VDB's Teams: Lotto (1994), Lotto / Mapei (1995), Mapei (1996-1998), Cofidis (1999-2000), Lampre-Daikin (2001), Domo-Farm Frites (2002), Quick Step-Davitamon (2003), Fassa Bortolo / MrBookmaker (2004), MrBookmaker-Sports Tech (2005), Unibet.com / Acqua & Sapone (2006)

Read:
VDB is Back! Naturino-Sapore di Mare Offers Spot, 26 August
VDB is Back as Boonen, 25 August
Frank Vandenbroucke Confirms with Unibet.com, 2 December 2005
UniBet.com and VDB, 26 October 2005
Mr. Mojo Risin', 8 June 2005
VDB Returns to Battle in Dunkirk, 4 May 2005
VDB: 19th New Beginning, 29 April 2005

Kash Comfortable with Vuelta

Andrey Kashechkin (Astaná) is comfortable with the 61st Vuelta a España. After three day's of hot racing in southern Spain, the Kazakh rider is finding his rhythm and we can expect to see him at the front once the roads commence to go upwards.

"I prefer the hot weather. ... it is the same weather that in southern Kazakhstan, the region where I started riding," explained Kash after a scorching hot stage 3, where temperatures touched 40°C. But his thoughts are not so much on the heat as they are the competition and the mountains.

"Valverde and Menchov are the most important [rivals]," Kash explained. And Vino, Kash's teammate? "Like me, he must also see how he goes in the mountains. ... I especially like that there are mountain stages in the first week, not like the Tour, where the first ten days it is not possible to have any selection. Here, on the other hand, the selection will happen rapidly."

The 26 year-old has had an amazing run of form lately, third overall in the Deutschland Tour and third in the sprint finish of the Clásica San Sebastián. His confidence will help boost the morale of Astaná, who have had a difficult time while battling to keep their ProTour spot. Kash will be looking to add to his lone 2006 victory, a stage in Paris-Nice, with a Vuelta stage and/or the overall, perhaps trying even harder starting 3 September, when the Kazakh Prime Minister will visit the Vuelta.

61st Vuelta a España, 26 August - 17 September
Main, Startlist
Stages and Maps, Key Stages, Overall Map
Photos, The Dust Devil's Daily Wrap
2005 Results

Tour of Britain with 5 ProTour Squadras

The 3rd Tour of Britain starts today in Glasgow with 16 teams (five ProTour) completing the peloton. The riders will face six stages and 870 kilometers of racing before the finish in London.

The five ProTour teams, Quick-Step, T-Mobile, Davitamon-Lotto, Phonak and CSC, will give the English tifosi plenty to cheer about. Top riders lining up include World Champion Tom Boonen, 2005 overall winner Nick Nuyens, Italian Filippo Pozzato, 3X World TT Champion Michael Rogers, Andreas Klöden and Axel Merckx.

28 August News ...