Danlander Frank Hoj, 31 years old, and a pillar of his current CSC squad, has inked a two year deal with the German Gerolsteiner team. (Source: L'Equipe)L'Equipe (French)
Transfers: Valverde to Iles Baléares
Posted Wed Oct 13 19:01:33 2004 (EDT in North America)
After much speculation, Alejandro Valverde has announced that he is signing with Iles Baléares, a squad with a place on the controversial new UCI Pro Tour which will commence in 2005. Kelme, Valverde's current team, is understandably not too happy but was apparently unable to match the remuneration offered by Iles Baléares. Valverde, 24 years old, came into prominence last year taking second place in the Hamilton Worlds behind his compatriot Igor Astarloa. This year Valverde had two impressive wins in the tours of Murcia and Valencia. Fourth in the Tour d'Espagne he has been a much sought after rider. (Source: L'Equipe)L'Equipe (French)
Milano-Torino: Results
Posted Wed Oct 13 14:42:22 2004 (EDT in North America)
13.10.04 - Milano-Torino - Italy - 199 km - Cat. 1.1 1 M. SERRANO (ESP - LST) 4h32'10" 2 E. MAZZOLENI (ITA - SAE) + 1" 3 F. CASAGRANDE (ITA - LAM) m.t. 4 C. EVANS (AUS - TMO) m.t. 5 D. HONDO (ALL - GST) + 29" 6 A. DAVIS (AUS - LST) m.t. 7 M. KESSLER (ALL - TMO) m.t. 8 D. FOFONOV (KAZ - COF) m.t. 9 C. VASSEUR (FRA - COF) m.t. 10 L. MAZZANTI (ITA - PAN) m.t. (Source: L'Equipe)L'Equipe (French)
Parick Sercu Interview
Posted Wed Oct 13 05:29:16 2004 (EDT in North America)
With the Six-Day season due to open in Amsterdam on 18 October, Patrick Sercu, winner of
88 Six-Day events during his long career will be at the forefront as organizer of many
of the events on the coming 2004-2005 Six-Day Circuit.
He was interviewed by British Cycling at the recent Revolution track meeting in Manchester
by Phil Griffiths, an ardent fan of Sercu's during his racing days:
Phil Griffiths
Patrick, in your role as Six Day race promoter and director in Europe, what's your opinion of the
current world track scene and the direction it's going in.
Patrick Sercu
Currently you have two quite different scenes in some ways: on the one hand you have the Olympic
Games, World Championships and the World Cup Series; and then you have the Six Days and the
other meetings where the professional rider has to earn a living. You see, the Olympics and the
Worlds are where you make your reputation and the Six Days and the other races are where you
make your money, if you like.
Phil Griffiths
So the national and international focus is on the big games?
Patrick Sercu
Yes, for sure
Phil Griffiths
But for the working track professional...
Patrick Sercu
You need the Six Days and the rest. The Six Days are, I would say, the stage races for the
track riders.
Phil Griffiths
Hein Verbruggen and the UCI are seeking to turn track racing into a winter sport.
What's your view?
Patrick Sercu
That is no problem. For me track cycling is a winter sport. All the big competitions
are in the indoor velodromes and in the summer the public have other interests to follow
and of course there is the road scene. I think it is good for the track scene that it
could be concentrated on say September through to March. Except for the sprinters, all
the riders are racing through the summer on the road.
Phil Griffiths
Your career included world championships and Olympic gold medals in the Sprint and Kilo,
stage wins in the major tours and the green jersey in the Tour de France. Is there too
much specialisation now?
Patrick Sercu
No, I don''t think so: you must go where your talent takes you. I started as a sprinter
and then I started to win the Six Days and then came the endurance to win on the road.
I was no longer a track sprinter: it was not possible to do both at World level.
Phil Griffiths
You took the professional kilo record down to 1.07.35 in 1972 and now the World contenders
are doing around 1.01. Where does that improvement come from?
Patrick Sercu
I did Milan-San Remo, the Six-Day races and the kilometre record in the same year.
Now you have to be a specialist to have success at the sprint disciplines.
You cannot achieve these times without many years of specialisation. The Six-Day
rider has to be able to do many things well: they are all good road riders.
PATRICK SERCU FACT-FILE
*Winner of a record 88 Six-Day races
*Professional Career 1965 - 1983
*1963 World amateur sprint champion
*1964 Olympic Kilo champion
*1967 and 1969 World professional sprint champion
*1972 set new world Kilo record 1m 7.35s
(beating Reg Harris's 15 year old record of 1.8.0)
*1973 reduced record to 1m 5.50s and flying Kilo record
to 58.5s at altitude in Mexico
*1974 first Tour de France, winning 3 stages, wearing
yellow jersey, winning points competition,
finishing 89th overall
*1977 won three stages Tour de France
*Winner of 13 stages of the Giro d'Italia during his career
Phil Griffiths
We''ve seen big changes in British cycling since the opening of Manchester in 96 and now
the GB Team is amongst the top 5 in the world rankings. What's happening in Belgium?
Patrick Sercu
In Belgium now we only have the Sportpaleis in Ghent, which we can use all year round.
We have no sprinters, no kilo rider or pursuiter at the world level. Belgium is at the
other side of the world, if you like, to what you are doing here. At the moment
Matthew Gilmore is our only world-class talent and he comes from Australia (Laughs).
I mean Matthew is not a product of Belgian cycling. You have this facility, which is
one of the best in the world, and now you are attracting younger people into the sport.
Phil Griffiths
We have been able to secure government funding to develop young talent...
Patrick Sercu
Yes, that is the key. Facilities like you have here are very expensive.
There is no private money to build the tracks so we need government funding.
There are plans now to put a roof on the outdoor 250m track in Ghent, so that
will I hope help.
Phil Griffiths
Do you see this direct connection between funding and success?
Patrick Sercu
Yes, I do. The government in Belgium are now investing some money. To turn things around
will take time. You can have the best ideas and the people who will work very hard but
without the money it is not possible. When I look back at Britain perhaps 10 years ago
at the world level, you had one or two riders that had made it really on their own, but
now you are at the top of the sport with champions and riders who can compete. Your team
is, how can I say, like a machine: you have the coaches who can work with the young riders;
you have the facilities where they can develop their talents and it brings you success.
This I think was the idea behind the UCI facility in Aigle, Switzerland. Hein Verbruggen
is saying, if you have facilities such as this, then you can grow the sport.
Phil Griffiths
When we look at mainland Europe from Britain we see perhaps the culture of the bike as
transport for all whereas here we have been encouraged to seek cycling specific facilities
because of traffic congestion and parents'' worries about children riding on the road.
What's happening in Belgium?
Patrick Sercu
In Belgium it is a problem too. You know, before, all the riders in Belgium were ``born''
on the way to school. If there were four or five youngsters, then on the way to school
they would have their own little competition. Now, times have changed and we have your
problems also. Young people need to be active in their life: they need to play sport,
any sport. It is not necessary from 12 years of age to sit on a bicycle everyday to become
a top rider. You can be a good athlete and be healthy and say perhaps from 15 you can learn
the skills and techniques to be a bike rider. You must encourage children to swim, run and
play games and to be active.
Phil Griffiths
Turning to the Six-day season for the coming winter, what are your plans?
Patrick Sercu
Once again I will be race promoter and director for Ghent and race director for
the Six-Days of Bremen and Amsterdam. I hope many British fans will again come to Ghent.
Phil Griffiths
Will we see Bradley Wiggins and Matthew Gilmore defend their 2003 Ghent title?
Patrick Sercu
Maybe: I''m sure they will both ride. It depends what happens at the Worlds and the Olympics
perhaps. If Matthew Gilmore and Tom Steels ride the Worlds and Olympics and they make a good
team, who knows? It is good for the racing when the Germans, the Dutch, the British and the
Italians ride against each other. Matthew and Bradley were both born in Ghent so maybe the
crowd say ``Bradley Wiggins is a little bit Belgian''. Also, last year we missed having a
British under 23 team in the amateur six, I hope we will see one this year.
Phil Griffiths
Patrick, the music has started and the crowd is starting to come in to the velodome, so
I'll ask you just one more question. Can you tell me what your best moment has been from
all your victories?
Patrick Sercu
I would have to say the most important was what was happening at the time.
At the time of my World Championship victories in the Sprint and then the Olympic Gold
in the kilo they were very special but also my 88 Six-Day victories and then the road
success and of course the Tour Green Jersey. As an athlete you set goals and you achieve
and then you move on like a journey.
Phil Griffiths
That's a great note to end on. Thank you, Patrick, for your time and I hope you enjoy
the evening's racing.
Patrick Sercu
Thank you.
(Source: British Cycling)
British Cycling Site (English)
89th. Milan-Turin
Posted Wed Oct 13 04:22:00 2004 (EDT in North America)
Squads engaged with Principal Riders ACQUA & SAPONE - CAFFE MOKAMBO Nocentini, Marzoli ALESSIO - BIANCHI Pelizzotti, Baldato CERAMICHE PANARIA - MARGRES Sella, Tiralongo COFIDIS Moncoutie, Vasseur DE NARDI Honchar, Giordani DOMINA VACANZE Scarponi, Simeoni FASSA BORTOLO Frigo, Bruseghin GEROLSTEINER Rebellin, Wegmann ILLES BALEARS - BANESTO Garcia Acosta, Gutierrez LAMPRE Astarloa, Bortolami LANDBOUWKREDIET - COLNAGO Popovych, Duma LIBERTY SEGUROS TEAM Baranowski, Davis LOTTO - DOMO Van Bon, Baguet PHONAK Zulle, Aebersold RABOBANK Boogerd, Dekker SAECO Cunego, Celestino SAUNIER DUVAL - PRODIR Piepoli, Martin Perdiguero TEAM CSC Basso, Bartoli T-MOBILE TEAM Vinokourov, Nardello VINI CALDIROLA - NOBILI RUBINETTERIE Garzelli, Casagrande (Source: Milano-Torino Site [la Gazzetta])Milano-Torino Site (Italian)
Men Only
Posted Tue Oct 12 23:09:08 2004 (EDT in North America)
Here's Italy's Ivan Gotti
(Source: Six Day staff; Photo Courtesy: Cyclinfo Site [French])
Ladies Only
Posted Wed Oct 13 03:04:14 2004 (EDT in North America)
Here's Katie Linquest
(Source: Six Day staff; Photo Courtesy: Cyclinfo Site [French])
Happy Birthday - Women
Posted Wed Oct 13 03:03:21 2004 (EDT in North America)
Sorry, None today. (Source: Six Day staff)
Happy Birthday - Men
Posted Wed Oct 13 03:02:40 2004 (EDT in North America)
Albert Ritserveldt (1915) Belgium 1st Liege-Bastogne-Liege 1939 Johan Museeuw (1965) Belgium 3 wins Pascale 3 wins Ronde 1 win Worlds Numerous other classics wins 1 Four year doping suspension (Source: Six Day staff)
Today's Menu
Posted Wed Oct 13 02:59:34 2004 (EDT in North America)
Wednesday, October 13 Main Events:
MEN:
Stage Races: None
Single Day races:
Milano-Torino Italy Cat. 1.1
Six Day Races: None
WOMEN:
Stage Races: None
Single Day races: None
(Source: UCI)
UCI Calendars: Track Road Women UCI Home Page (Multilingual)