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19 September 2006

20 September News ...

Basso Likely to Escape - New Squadra

The discovery of sacks of blood, intercepted faxes and phone calls are apparently not sufficient enough to sanction Ivan Basso. Franco Cosenza, anti-doping lawyer of CONI (Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano), does not seem to have the evidence needed to defer Basso to the disciplinary commission of the FCI (Federazione Ciclistica Italiana) and it is likely the case will be archived.

Cosenza has summonsed Basso, banned from starting the Tour de France due to the ProTour's Ethical Codes after Spanish investigators found several links to the Italian during Operación Puerto, to Roma on 29 September. This will be the second meeting of the parties, including Basso's lawyer, Massimo Martelli, in la Città Eterna.

The last hurdle for Ivan Basso will be to face CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) and to find a team who is willing to risk their reputation to sign him. The UCI have already announced that if the Italian's case is archived then they will appeal the decision to CAS. Basso's contract with CSC is likely to be terminated due to the falling out between the rider and Team Manager Riis.

How would the tifosi feel to have a rider, Basso, who seems to be strongly linked with the biggest doping investigation the sport has every seen, sign with another team, like Discovery Channel, and continue riding? We can't blame Cosenza, he is a man of law and he has to operate on evidence; The Guardia Civil supplied all the facts they could dig out of the offices of Doctor Eufemiano Fuentes and other related sites; and the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) are forced to rely on the rider's national federation to issue the punishments.

Basso, the winner of the 2006 Giro d'Italia, is a big name in cycling and will likely already have signed a contract, like with Discovery Channel, before the 29 decision is given by Cosenza. But surely the sponsors and ProTour teams (managers and riders included) don't want a rider who has skirted the laws of cycling?

Read:
Basso's Hearing Postponed to 29 September, 8 September
Basso Waits for 12 September
Operación Puerto: Basso in Roma, 29 August
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

Crono World Championships

Thursday is the World Time Trial Championships in Salzburg, Austria. Defending (and three-time) champion, Michael Rogers (Australia) and the other starters will face a rolling parcours of 50.8K (Salzburg TT Profile).

The two men representing Italy are Vincenzo Nibali, 21 year-old Siciliano, 3rd in 2004 U23 Worlds, and Marco Pinotti, 30 year-old Bergamasco, former Italian TT champion, finished 17th in 2005 Worlds.

Yesterday in Salzburg was the first training run for the two Italians. Under morning clouds and an afternoon downpour, the two previewed the TT course. In the morning they rode for three hours, with three passes on the hardest sections.

Sunday Marco wrote in to BiciRace.com saying: "I am already in Salzburg (after a long car trip!). There are still four days to focus and recover energy for a very good performance. I am confident." [Pinotti: Post-Poland and Pre-Worlds]

11 Italians Arrive in Varese for Pre-Worlds Training

Yesterday, the week of the World Championships truly began. Franco Ballerini, Italian National DS, greeted his 11-man squadra (including two reserves) in Gazzada (Varese). Today and tomorrow, the Squadra Azzurra will train together, helping Ballerini determine the two reserves, before departing to Salzburg.

Ferrara, probably the least known of the 11, was the first to arrive at the hotel in Gazzada. Rebellin arrived in a Gerolsteiner team car, the other four Veneto riders (Ballan, Bruseghin, Pozzato and Tosatto) arrived together. Paolini, who lives nearby, drove his own car and Di Luca arrived on a flight at Malpensa.

The rooms of the 11 riders: Bettini-Paolini, Ballan-Tosatto, Bruseghin-Rebellin, Di Luca-Nocentini (both from the south), Tonti-Ferrara and Pippo (rooming solo).

The boys had a nice dinner last night, and they will need it because today they will hit the roads for seven hours. Part of today's ride will include a reconnaissance of the 2008 Worlds course in Varese. Tomorrow will be the longest training session before boarding a chartered flight from Malpensa.

Squadra Azzurra (9 + 2 Reserves)
Alessandro Ballan (Lampre-Fondital)
Andrea Tonti (Acqua & Sapone)
Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas)
Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner)
Filippo Pozzato (Quick-Step)
Luca Paolini (Liquigas)
Marzio Bruseghin (Lampre-Fondital)
Matteo Tosatto (Quick-Step)
Paolo Bettini (Quick-Step)
Raffaele Ferrara (Androni Giocattoli-3C Casalinghi)
Rinaldo Nocentini (Acqua & Sapone)

Read:
Ballerini Announces Squadra Azzurra, 15 September
Squadra Azzurra Salzburg Travel Arrangements, 2 September

Worlds Parcours: 12 Laps, 266 Kilometers

266 kilometers form the 2006 World Championships, held 24 September in Salzburg, Austria. There will be 12 circuits (down from the original 13) of 22.2K and a total 2400m elevation gain. The hardest section is sure to be the 800 meters midway into the circuit, Elixhausen (547m). The Elixhausen starts at the 10.7K marker and tops out at 13.2K. It is on this climb the riders will confront gradients touching 14% before the climb tops out, leaving 9K to the finish.

In August, Luca Paolini said of the course: "The key point is likely to be the descent leading to that hard section [Elixhausen]," explained Paolini, who raced on the circuit last year during the Tour of Austria. "This will be ideal for launching an attack."

Experienced Ballerini

Franco Ballerini is guiding the Squadra Azzurra to what he hopes will be a World Championship victory on Sunday. Il Toscano (41) spent all of the last 12 months, since Madrid's mishap, refining his thoughts on the characteristics of the Squadra Azzurra and then working to select the members that met those characteristics.

Ballerini, professional from 1986 to 2001, took the job as Italian National DS in 2001 (27 July). It was a role that was wisely bestowed; Il Toscano, who often worked as a domestique, has two Paris-Roubaix wins to his name and interacts well with his compatriots.

This is the seventh time Ballerini will direct the national team (6 Worlds and 1 Olympics) and he will be vying for his fifth medal (hopefully gold). Ballerini has achieved top spot twice; guiding fellow Toscani Mario Cipollini in 2002 (Zolder) and Paolo Bettini in 2004 (Olympics-Athens) to wins. The other medals have come thanks to a second by Bettini in 2001 (Lisbon) and third by Paolini in 2004 (Verona).

Read:
Franco Ballerini Back from Salzburg, 14 December

World Championships, Salzburg (Austria), 24 & 24 September
Worlds Preview
Time Trial, Profile, Overall Map, TT Startlist
Road Race, Profile, Overall Map, RR Startlist

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

18 September News ...