Ullrich: Latest Installment

Jan Ullrich's manager Wolfgang Strohband said yesterday there is one, and only one, alternative to CSC for Ullrich, and that is Team Coast. This is apparently meant to put to rest rumors that Kelme might be a team for Ullrich in the coming season. (Radsport)

Rumsas renews for one year

Raimondas Rumsas has officially signed a one-year renewal with Lampre management. The Lampre bosses stated that Rumsas was not implicated in the arrest of his wife in July. (Marca)

Confirmation on Coppi: malaria

An investigation was initiated early this year by magistrates in Tortona, Italy, as a result of newspaper claims that Fausto Coppi had been poisoned. A missionary from Africa made the claim in January of this year that he heard a confession to this effect, but in the process of reviewing medical reports and testimony of doctors who took blood samples when Coppi became ill, the magistrates have concluded that malaria, which was stated as the original cause of death, is confirmed.

Coppi supposedly contracted malaria in Burkina Faso in late 1959 while on a combination safari and race trip. After returning to Italy he became acutely ill and died a week later at the age of 40. Two other riders also contracted malaria during their stay in Burkina Faso but recovered. Undoubtedly because of Coppi's young age, rumors that his death was mysterious started from the beginning. The monk who reported the poisoning said that African riders with a grudge against Coppi had administered a slow acting poison made locally in the region. (AS.com)

Andorra will host Vuelta stage

The Andorran minister of tourism and Unipublic's Enrique Franco signed an agreement yesterday to have a Vuelta stage end in Andorra. The Principality of Andorra is mountainous, in Spain's north, on the border of France. (La Vos de Asturias)

Delatour unveils new jersey

The Delatour team had their first team together in Lyon, which included an unveiling of the new team jersey by Patrice Halgand, as well as a ride in which 130 locals and fans participated. Halgand came in first in the informal 60km ride, followed by captains Bruno Thibout and Eddy Seigneur. Jean-Patrick Nazon, who has ridden with FdJ.com since turning pro in 1997, joins Delatour this year.

The teams first race will be the GP Marseilles on February 4th. (Jeandelatour.com)

Oktos riders find teams

Velomania reports that Roman Peter, who rode with Oktos St. Quentin last season, will ride with Ofoto Lombardi next year. Pierre Bourquenoud, also from Oktos, will ride with Jean Delatour.

CCC-Polsat adds sponsor

Cycling4all reports that Atlas joins CCC-Polsat as a sponsor, and that new riders to the team are Seweryn Kohut (Pol - former De Nardi) and Slawomir Kohut (Pol - former) Amore e Vita. Piotr Przydzial will participate when his suspension for a positive doping control ends. The team name will be CCC-Atlas-Polsat.

Oxtoa family: continued heartache in court

Nearly two years after Ricardo and Javier Oxtoa were involved in a tragic accident that killed Ricardo and permanently injured Javier, the courts handling the case have yet to make much forward motion. The two brothers were hit by a car driven by Sebastián Fernández López of the University of Malaga. Police would not reveal details about Lopez's state at the time of the accident, no trial has yet taken place and forensic experts have not yet been able to estimate the degree of Javier's injuries.

While the court did grant a financial injunction against Fernández to protect assets that might be used for compensation, the Oxtoa family was not notified of the decision. Now the Oxtoas have had to file for a recourse as a result of apparent financial maneuverings by Fernández. (Mundo Deportivo)

Banesto first meeting

The Banesto team spent the last two days at a Madrid hotel for their first gathering. During this time they arranged logistics such as clothing and materials distribution, took official team photos and also introduced their new team members, amateur Jose Antonio Lopez, Rafa Mateos (from Colpack), Vladimir Karpets (from Itera) and Eugeni Petrov (ex-Mapei). (Banesto.com)

Sergio Perez knee surgery

Relax Fuenlabrada's Sergio Perez has undergone surgery to his left knee. His ailment was originally thought to be tendonitis but over a course of a month and a half when the condition did not respond, surgery became the alternative.

Perez reports that the surgery went well but that he will remain in the clinic for about three days, then the rehabilitation process and then he will be back on his bike. He estimates however, that the entire process will take four to five months, forcing him to miss the beginning of the season. This will be his second season with Relax. Perez said that a change in his pedals mid last season is what caused the problem. (Aragon Ciclista)

Gordon McCauley

Over the past several days several news items regarding double New Zealand National Champion Gordon McCauley's retirement have been published. When the Daily Peloton spoke to him last week, he stated that he was deciding whether to take a job offer that would mean his retirement from cycling. As of December 6th, his website states that he will continue racing. We hope to hear from him soon and will therefore wait until that time to make a report.

Track Cycling desktop wallpapers

Jacob Burns of the Lehigh Valley Velodrome in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, offers desktop images for your computer as a way to shake off the winter blues. There are ten great photos to choose from, and they are located here. Thanks, Jake!

TDS Telekom sponsors US womens team

Press Release: TDS Telecom enters the cycling circuit with the sponsorship of a new, national-level women’s cycling team. TDS made this decision in efforts to support the interests of more of its communities nationwide, as well as to promote its high-speed Internet access in area markets.

Team TDS will compete throughout the United States and Canada, while focusing on the National Racing Circuit (NRC) schedule. Starting in March, the team will race at Sequoia, Solano, Redlands, Roswell, Athens, Housatonic, First Union, Nature Valley, Fitchburg Longsjo, Wendy’s, Superweek, The International, and the Pro Cycling Tour. The full schedule will be posted  in February.

“We’re excited about this opportunity to get more of our TDS communities, around the nation, involved in this caliber of an event—and about getting our name out in front of customers through a competitive, professional team,. “ said DeAnne Boegli, Manager, Communications and Branding. “The team will promote our high-speed Internet products, such as DSL and ISDN, and augment local publicity efforts.”

Peloton Sports Management of Elburn, Ill. will manage the team, which will consist of six riders, including:

Ann Samplonius –  Montreal, Canada
Emily Gloeckner – Denver, Co.
Rebecca Loney – Madison, Wis.
Shawn Heidgen – Elburn, Ill.
Joan Wilson – Ramona, Calif.

 When asked about her position on the TDS team, Canadian rider Anne Samplonius responded “I’m really excited about racing next season since TDS Telecom has stepped in to provide a new and fresh face in professional women’s cycling in the USA. I believe with the highly motivated and energetic riders on our roster that we will be a force to deal with this coming season. I think it’s going to be an exciting year for women’s cycling in America again and I can’t wait!” Team Manager Karl Heidgen added, “There are a lot of talented riders out there but I believe we can compete and win against the best teams in North America.”  More details will be released in the next few weeks regarding additional team sponsors, riders, and where to look for more information.

TDS Telecom, a growing national company, brings high quality, locally based telecommunications services to 900 rural and suburban communities across the U.S. Headquartered in Madison, Wis., the company, along with its subsidiaries TDS Metrocom and USLink, services 900,000 access line equivalents. TDS Telecom can be accessed through the Internet at www.tdstelecom.com.

TDS Telecom is part of the Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (AMEX: TDS) family of companies. TDS is a diversified telecommunications corporation founded in 1969. Through its strategic business units, U.S. Cellular (AMEX: USM) and TDS Telecom, TDS operates primarily by providing wireless and local telephone service. The company currently employs approximately 10,300 people and serves 4.8 million customers in 35 states.