Beloki Comments after Escalada Montjuïc

"It is a very important victory, after a great season in which I have needed victories. I have had very good positions, but few triumphs," said Joseba Beloki after winning the Escalada Montjuïc.

This victory was not just chance: "Far from it. I have done very well in the last three races disputed in Italy. Montjuic is a very special race and requires riders with special talents. This is the second time that I have disputed it, the last year I finished second  and now first, not this not bad."

Montjuïc ends Beloki's season. "I am not going to do criteriums. I want to be perfect in the Tour and must rest now." (todociclismo)

U23 Eisel to FdJ

Promising 21 year old Austrian Bernhard Eisel looks set to sign for Marc Madiot's French team fdj.com. Eisel has been part of the successful Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs set up this season and took a win in the Select Radclassic Gleisdorf in his home country earlier in the season as well as recently taking second overall in the Paris-Correze stage race. Another new face at fdj.com looks set to be 29 year old Mikael Pichon who is being released by the Bonjour team.

Cafe Baque's Elorriaga goes to Paternina -Costa Almeria

Basque rider Unai Elorriaga who has had a fine season for the Spanish amateur team Cafe Baque will turn professional next season with the second division Paternina-Costa Almeria team. The 22 year old has taken 12 victories this season in the Under 23 category including the Championship of Biscay and the overall at the Vuelta a Valladolid. Paternina (a Rioja wine company) are the replacement sponsors for Jazztel who have decided to leave cycling sponsorship.

Petrov signs with Banesto

Tour de l'Avenir winner Evgeni Petrov has signed for iBanesto.com. The Russian was tipped to be part of the new squad which was to be set up by Andrei Tchmil but as the formation of that team has been delayed until 2004, Petrov has had to make alternative arrangements. Petrov who is the reigning Russian time trial champion will be joining his friend Denis Menchov at iBanesto.com.

Three Banestos go to Kelme

In other Spanish news it is reported that Kelme-Costa Blanca have signed three of the riders recently discarded by iBanesto.com for next season. Adolfo Garcia and David Latasa and possibly Vuelta stage winner Santiago Blanco are the three riders in question. Kelme themselves have financial problems and have recently had to cut back on their rider roster.

2003 French Championships

Next years French championships will be held in Plumelec, Brittany, between the 26th and the 29th of June 2003. According to the newspaper Ouest France, a delegation from the French Cycling Federation (FFC) were in Plumelec on Thursday to inspect the various courses. The TT course will start in nearby Josselin and finish in Plumelec and will be over a distance of 45 kms for the men and 25 kms for the women. The road race distances will be 222 kms and 97 kms for the men and women respectively.

Delatour Lineup Announced This Week

The Jean Delatour team will be presenting their 2003 line up to the press this coming Thursday (24th October). Several riders have left the team including joint team leader Laurent Brochard, this has left Patrice Halgand as sole team leader for next season. Cyril Dessel and Ivailo Gabrovski have also departed while incoming riders have been few, main signing has been Sebastian Joly from the Bonjour team.

Those Yates Boys...

Matthew and Jeremy Yates took the top two spots yesterday in the Palmerston North to Wellington contest in New Zealand. As reported by stuff.co.nz, on Saturday the Yates boys' showed their style in a breakaway group of 10 over the Akatarawa Ranges. Former world junior champion Jeremy, 20, rode away chased by Matthew.

Matthew rode up to Jeremy on the descent, and that was the last the field saw of them. They finished an awesome 7min 10s ahead of the third rider, Bevan Mason, of Waikato, who led a chasing group of five.

At the finish Jeremy sprinted first, and Matthew slipped by him by half a cycle length. However, it was hardly a fiercely contested sprint, and it was almost as though Jeremy was content to finish second.

"Matthew was a bit stronger than me in the sprint," Jeremy said without great conviction.

It was Matthew's 95th race of the year, and his eighth win. The pair will return to Belgium next year and ride in different professional teams. They will be competing in the New Zealand Road Championships this coming weekend.

Paindaveine Sets the Record Straight on Marlux Sponsorship

Some sources apparently reported yesterday that Marlux was having sponsor difficulties for 2003 Didier Paindaveine assures that this is not the case.

Didier Paindaveine declared: "Yes, there is just a problem of name but we had the certification of Mr. De Meulenaere that budget would be there. The problem comes owing to the fact that a name cannot be found at two different teams but a company has several names and it will thus not be Berry Floor which will be on the shirt but another of their products. There is thus no problem of budget and the announced riders will be present in the team the next year."

In this connection, the Marlux team will continue collaboration with the company for equipment - the French company will thus continue to provide all the hardware to the team.

The signing of Geoffrey Coupé to the team was confirmed but the status of Ardila is not yet known. (velo-club.net)

Perlis Open

Paul Rodenbach won the 50km criterium race for the senior men's category at the Perlis 2002 Open cycling championship which ended here Sunday.

The 24-year-old Australian clocked 1:00.17s while national rider Suhardi Hassan, 20, was second with a time of 1:00.19s. Kuala Lumpur rider Wan Mohd Najmee Ahmad, 19, was third, clocking 1:00.21s.

The five-day competition was organised by the state government with the cooperation of the Perlis Cycling Association (PBPs) and the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF), which was attended by more than 200 riders from 30 teams.(Mayalasian News Agency)

Iranian Cyclists Ride for Peace

The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reports today that a seven-member cycling team,  on a  Mashhad-Mecca tour arrived in Damascus, Syria, Friday night. Heading the team, Hassan Naeimabadi told IRNA the cyclists aim to spread their motto "Coexistence, Dialogue, Logic Instead of War,"  showing their opposition to the United States warmongering.

Naeimabadi, who is also the head of Khorassan province's Mountaineering Board added: "Carrying the peace-seeking message of  Iranians and Muslims worldwide, the team departed from the holy city of Mashhad, northern province of Khorassan, and is to arrive in Mecca on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan (November 6).

According to their program, the Iranian cyclists are pedaling a 5,000-km distance from Mashhad to Turkey, Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.

Asian cycling champion in 1974, Ahmad Nasseri, 65, and his two sons, Mahmoud and Qassem, who are the members of Iran's national team as well as Nasser Karamnia, a veteran cyclist, Ali-Akbar Shandizi, and Mozaffar Alizadeh, a teacher and a Gas Co. staff, are the seven members of the team, added Naeimabadi.

Chrono des Herbiers Results

Chrono des Herbiers (1.3) - 48.150km

Nice results again today to add to Mapei's swan song - five of their riders placed in the top ten in this time trial, including 2nd place winner Fabian Cancellara, who this season won the GP Erik Breukink and the ZLM Tour, and with Lazlo Bodrogi won the GP Eddy Merckx. Winner Michael Rich had four stage wins this year and won the overall at Bayern Rundfahrt.

1. M. Rich (Gerolsteiner)   59.45
2. F. Cancelarra (Mapei)   59.54
3. B. Roesems (Colstrop Palmans)   1.00.14
4. L. Bodrogi  (Mapei)   1.00.31
5. M. Rogers (Mapei)   1.00.42
6. J. Nuttli (Oktos-Saint-Quentin)  1.01.06
7. Y. Krivstov (Delatour)   1.01.39
8. J. Voigt (Credit Agricole)   1.01.46
9. E. Petrov (Mapei)   1.01.50
10. F. Pozzato (Mapei)  1.02.23