January 18/04 2:35 am - Charles dionne Interview, 'Cross World Cup #5, Hughes Wins

Posted by Editor on 01/18/04
 

Charles Dionne Interview

Charles Dionne announced just in the last two weeks that he has a new team for 2004 - the Webcor Cycling Team, where he joins former Saturn team mate Chris Horner. Dionne is currently in Ventura, California, where he is preparing for the new season, and getting ready to head to New Zealand for the Tour of Wellington as a member of Team Canada. We spoke with him recently in Ventura.

Canadian Cyclist - Through the fall we kept hearing about various Saturn riders getting picked up for 2004 after the team announced it was pulling out of cycling, but not you. Were you getting worried?

Charles Dionne - Saturn was a big piece of U.S. cycling, and also 7 Up and Prime Alliance (disappeared), so there were a lot of riders on the market. I was busy looking for something; I thought it would happen after the Worlds - I had lots of good conversations - but it never happened.

Then, Chris (Horner) called on the 30th (of December) and gave me the telephone number (for Webcor). I called the next day, and that was it, I had a contract the next day, so I was only unemployed for one day.

CC - Why do you think it took so long, besides the number of riders out there?

CD - I was talking to the Euro teams, but nothing happened. Since 1998 they can see a progression in my results until 2003, which was flat. They didn't know what happened, with my crashes. In the U.S. it is a disaster right now, and it is a little bit like that in Europe too. They like to see Euro results also, and I have not too much so far. But my plan is always to get to Europe.

CC - 2003, as you say, was "flat". Do you want to explain that a little more?

CD - I didn't just have the crash in Malaysia (a horrific pile up in the second stage that wiped out his spring with broken fingers and a thigh injury). I also crashed at (the Tour of) Georgia, and then the Peace Race. It was hard to put together a good stretch, but right now I am training, and feeling good.

CC - What is your role going to be a Webcor - primarily as the designated sprinter?

CD - I have a good capacity to sprint, but not just that; I can also do the long hard races like San Francisco (Grand Prix, which he won in 2002). Webcor is based in San Francisco, and now they have two out of the last three winners, which I think is important to them.

CC - What is your schedule for this year?

CD - For this year I will start in New Zealand (leaving California this week, on the 23rd), then 3 days after (Wellington finishes) to Langkawi. After that it will be mostly U.S. races. Hopefully, some races in Europe with the national team - we need to get maximum (UCI) points to put the most riders possible on the line in Athens. That's my big goal this year, and Webcor understands it.


'Cross World Cup #5 - Nommay, France

Men
1 Bart Wellens (Belgium)  
2 Richard Groenendaal (Netherlands) at 0:20
3 Erwin Vervecken (Belgium) 1:21
4 Jiri Pospisil (Czech Republic) 1:29
5 Tom Vannoppen (Belgium) 1:51
6 Sven Vanthourenhout (Belgium) 2:11
7 Sven Nijs (Belgium) 2:36
8 Françis Mourey (France) 2:50
9 Ben Berden (Belgium) 2:59
10 Arnaud Labbe (France) 3:08
11 John Gadret (France) 4:01
12 Dariusz Gil (Poland) 4:04
13 Wilant Van Gils (Netherlands) 4:04
14 Wesley Van Der Linden (Belgium) 4:23
15 Michael Baumgartner (Switzerland) 4:32
16 Christian Heule (Switzerland) 4:38
17 Vaclav Jezek (Czech Republic) 4:44
18 David Derepas (France) 4:56
19 Enrico Franzoi (Italy) 5:01
20 Tadeusz Korzeniewski (Poland) 5:08
21 Jan Ramsauer (Switzerland) 5:11
22 David Rusch (Switzerland) 5:11
23 Emmanuel Magnien (France) 5:13
24 Sébastien Minard (France) 5:44
25 Beat Morf (Switzerland) 5:49
26 Alessandro Fontana (Italy) 6:08
27 Petr Dlask (Czech Republic) 6:31
28 Kamil Ausbuher (Czech Republic) 6:49
29 Jens Schwedler (Germany) 7:06
30 Martin Zlamalik (Czech Republic) 7:20
31 Gerben De Knegt (Netherlands) 7:26
32 Jonathan Page (U.S.A.) 7:44
33 Simon Zahner (Switzerland) 7:48
34 Robert Glajza (Slovakia) 8:25
35 Roger Hammond (Great Britain) 9:25
36 Mariusz Gil (Poland) 9:51
37 Tommy Nielsen (Denmark) at 1 lap
38 Mike Muller (Germany) at 1 lap
39 Lorenzo Perotti (Italy) at 1 lap
40 Malte Urban (Germany) at 1 lap
41 Vaclav Metlicka (Slovakia) at 1 lap
Ondrej Lukes (Czech Republic) Abandon
Camiel Van Den Bergh (Netherlands) Abandon
Pawel Cierpikowski (Poland) Abandon
Marco Bianco (Italy) Abandon
Derrik Zampedri (Italy) Abandon
Milan Barenyi (Slovakia) Abandon
Maros Kovac (Slovakia) Abandon
Marian Hecl (Slovakia) Abandon
Andy Jacques Maynes (U.S.A.) Abandon
Nathan Rice (U.S.A.) Abandon
Jackson Stewart (U.S.A.) Abandon
Reto Matt (Germany) Abandon
Torsku Struch (Germany) Abandon
Jochen Uhrig (Germany) Abandon
Kim Petersen (Denmark) Abandon
Keith Murray (Great Britain) Abandon
Paul Oldham (Great Britain) Abandon
Luca Damiani (Italy) Abandon
Radoslaw Czapla (Poland) Abandon

Standings
1. Nijs 243 points
2 Berden 204
3 Wellens 200
4 Groenendaal 190
5 Mourey 150

21 Page 44

Women
1 Hanka Kupfernagel (Germany)
2 Maryline Salvetat (France) at 0:11
3 Daphny Van Den Brand (Netherlands) 1:07
4 Nadia Triquet (France) 1:19
5 Birgit Hollmann (Germany) 1:30

6 Gina Hall (USA) 1:34
9 Alison Dunlap (USA) 2:33
12 Ann Knapp (USA) 2:50
16 Carmen D'Alusio (USA) 3:56
32 Samantha Nicholson (Canada) at 1 lap

Standings
1 Kupfernagel 290 points
2 Salvetat 230
3 Triquet 173
4 Marianne Vos (Netherlands) 172
5 Reza Hormes Ravenstijn (Netherlands) 171

14 Dunlap 74
19 Hall 52
26 D'Alusio 28
30 Knapp 19


Hughes Wins 3000 Metre
Courtesy Speedskating Canada

Calgary, Alberta - Clara Hughes of Glen Sutton, Que., won the women's 3,000-metre race while Arne Dankers of Calgary added a silver in the men's 5,000 on Saturday in opening day action at the North American all around world championship qualifier at the Olympic Oval.

In the women's 3,000, Hughes clocked four minutes and 09.24 seconds for the victory with Kristina Groves of Ottawa second in 4:10.14 and Catherine Raney of the U.S., third in 4:11.78.

"I tried some new things today and some worked and some didn't," said Hughes, the former star cyclist who became the only Canadian to win medals at both a summer and winter Olympic Games two years ago in Salt Lake City with bronze in the 5,000.

"Still it's good to know that I can do pretty good times coming off some hard training. I want to finish this competition on a strong note and head to the worlds with confidence."

After two of four distances, Groves holds the overall lead at 82.450 points, Cindy Overland of Kitchener, Ont., is second at 83.435 and Hughes third at 83.690. Overland was the top Canadian in the 500 finishing second to American Sarah Elliot.

The event is not a worlds qualifier for the Canadian women who pre-qualified their four spots at the national championships earlier this month. The world team members are Groves, Hughes, Overland and Tara Risling of Medicine Hat, Alta.

500 Metre
1. Sarah Elliot, U.S., 40.58
2. Cindy Overland, Kitchener, Ont., 40.66
3. Tiffany Hughes, Kingston, Ont., 40.68
4. Kristina Groves, Ottawa, 40.76
5. Eva Rodansky, U.S., 40.99
6. Maria Lamb, U.S., 41.06
7. Tara Risling, Medicine Hat, Alta., 41.80
8. Catherine Raney, U.S., 41.81
9. Michelle D'Amours, Ste-Foy, Que., 41.88
10. Clara Hughes, Glen Sutton, Que., 42.01

3,000 Metre
1. Clara Hughes, Glen Sutton, Que.,, 4 :09.24
2. Kristina Groves, Ottawa,, 4 :10.14
3. Catherine Raney, U.S., 4 :11.78;
4. Cindy Overland, Kitchener, Ont., 4 :16.76
5. Maria Lamb, U.S., 4:18.39
6. Kristine Holzer, U.S., 4:21.02
7. Sarah Elliot, U.S., 4:21.56
8. Tiffany Hughes, 4:22.70
9. Michelle D'Amours, Ste-Foy, Que., 4:23.14
10. Katie Krall, U.S., 4:28.35

Overall (after two of four distances)
1. Groves, 82.450
2. Overland, 83.453
3. Clara Hughes, 83.690
4. Raney, 83.773
5. Lamb, 84.123
6. Elliot, 84.173
7. Tiffany Hughes, 84.463
8. D'Amours, 86.136
9. Rodansky, 86.471
10. Holzer, 86.963