May 13/00 9:54 am - Giro Preview, l'Aude, Hardwood Circuit

Posted by Editor on 05/13/00
 

Giro Begins Today

The first of the 'big Tours' begins today with a 6 kilometre Prologue at the Vatican City. Both Marco Pantani (Mercatone Uno-Albacom) and Mario Cipollini (Saeco-Valli & Valli) made it onto the final start list. Although there wasn't much doubt about Cipollini (suffering from asthma recently), Pantani was, and is, a real question mark. He has been wildly inconsistent ever since being removed from the Giro last year in the last couple of days (while leading), due to a high haemotocrit result. Infact, Pantani hasn't finished a race, and has even had his most ardent fans wondering whether or not he will ever race again.

The race suits climbers such as himself and last year's 'lame duck' winner Ivan Gotti (Team Polti). Pavel Tonkov (Mapei Quick Step) is also favoured. The climbing starts with stage 8, when the peloton faces three major ascents over 1000m.

Latest News: Evgueni Berzin, of the Mobilvetta Team, has been kicked out of the Giro before the start of the Prologue due to a high haemotocrit result. The entire peloton was tested this morning, before the start of the Prologue. Will this spell the end of Berzin's erratic career?


Tour de L'Aude

Stage 7 Loop around Font-Romeu, 77 km

1 Tatiana Stiajkina (Ukr) Ukraine 2:18:32
2 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Radteam Kupfernagel
3 Yuliya Murenka (Ukr) Ukraine
4 Juanita Feldhahn (Aus) Mixte 1 Canada/Australia all s.t.
5 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Lithuania 0:03
6 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Russia 0:06
7 Heidi Van De Vijver (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 Ladies Team 0:08
8 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Netherlands
9 Cindy Pieters (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 Ladies Team
10 Géraldine Loewenguth (Fra) France 0:10
11 Lyne Bessette (Can) Saturn

12 Cybil Di Guistini (Can) Mixte 1 Canada/Australia 0:17
24 Leigh Hobson (Can) Mixte 1 Canada/Australia 2:11
25 Sandy Espeseth (Can) Mixte 1 Canada/Australia s.t.
28 Dedee Demet-Barry (USA) Saturn 2:57
51 Clara Hughes (Can) Saturn 11:21

GC

1 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Radteam Kupfernagel 20:27:35
2 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Netherlands at 4:10
3 Géraldine Loewenguth (Fra) France 4:44
4 Heidi Van De Vijver (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 Ladies Team 5:33
5 Tatiana Stiajkina (Ukr) Ukraine 6:57
6 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 11:57
7 Juanita Feldhahn (Aus) Mixte 1 Canada/Australia 12:56
8 Madeleine Lindberg (Swe) Mixte 2 Farm Frites/Timex 13:30
9 Cindy Pieters (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 Ladies Team 13:47
10 Lyne Bessette (Can) Saturn 14:10

14 Sandy Espeseth (Can) Mixte 1 Canada/Australia 16:07
17 Cybil Di Guistini (Can) Mixte 1 Canada/Australia 18:23
22 Leigh Hobson (Can) Mixte 1 Canada/Australia 20:06
27 Dedee Demet-Barry (USA) Saturn 22:48
33 Clara Hughes (Can) Saturn 32:37


Bromont Press Release
(courtesy Pierre Thibault, FQSC)

The Québec Sports Minister, Gilles Baril, announced on May 12 that the Québec government will invest 1.9 million dollars to build a new international level velodrome with facilities in Bromont.

The money allocated to the corporation of the Bromont National Training Center will be used to build a 250 metre track that will allow Bromont to host international level track events as well as preparing Québec athletes in high level conditions.

While the Québec track riders represented half of the Canadian team in the late '80s, there are no more Québec riders on the Canadian track team. The new velodrome is expected to help increase the Québec representation on the Canadian track team in world championships and at the Olympic Games in the next years.

The velodrome will be equiped with the latest technical equipments and facilities for training and for holding high level events.

The Québec Sports Minister also announced an investment of $25,000 for a mountain bike and BMX practice track for the purpose of increasing technical abilities of the athletes. A building will be annexed to the track to lodge athletes, coaches, training and testing facilities, offices and meeting rooms.

The Board of Directors of the Bromont National Training Center will determine later how it will dispose of the existing 200 metre track. The regions of Québec City, Rouyn-Noranda and Aylmer already have shown interest for a similar facility in their region to establish a regional training center.


Schwinn/Toyota Canada Cup Gets New Course

The course for the Schwinn/Toyota Canada Cup is now marked and open for riding during regular Hardwood Hills hours. The circuit is 10 km for beginner and sport categories (9:00 am and 11:00 am starts), and 12 km for the 1:30 expert/elite race. The course is completely revamped for 2000, to reflect the entirely new trail system and layout Hardwood has developed for the 2000 season. There are many older trails not used for the Canada Cup before, as well as numerous new sections of single track cut this year. The new course offers some great change-ups in speed, and new techincal challenges. The Dual course is also roughed in, and open for riding during regular Hardwood Hills hours. It is definitely designed for a dual suspension bike, but also quite fun (if not unnerving), to ride on a hardtail (as I found out today). Looking forward to a great race. Chrissy Redden and Seamus McGrath are both confirmed to attend, as well as other Olympic hopefuls.

Glenn Meeuwisse