Rutkiewicz Affair, AMD and US Postal Team Up, De Nardi News, Saunier Duval News, Olympics: IOC Uneasy over Preparations, 29th Vuelta Ciclista a Cuba, Children of the Revolution - Revolution 2, Hudson Mathieu Looking at Seychelles Sportsman of the Year, America’s Cycling Team presented by UPMC

Rutkiewicz Affair

Two more riders questioned, Cazeneuve, Bondue and Migraine comment, wiretaps leaked

The drama continues to unfold over the latest doping affair in cycling revolving around Boguslaw Madejak, Marek Rutkiewicz and Robert Sassone today in the media. The high points yesterday were that two riders, Cedric Vasseur and Philippe Gaumont, were stopped at the Orly Airport in France for questioning.

Vasseur was interesting to the authorities because of information he might be able to contribute since he had been Rutkiewicz's roommate, not because he was suspected of being involved. He was not held or placed under investigation.

A search of Gaumont's residence yielded nothing and he was also released though he has been placed under investigation; apparently Sassone had named him as being involved. Gaumont, however, had positive doping controls in the late 1990's.

French Cycling Council head Thierry Cazeneuve has stated his extreme concern over this entire affair, claiming that it could be the death of pro cycling if, as he characterizes it, seasoned pros who dope are not removed from the peloton - he feels the new, young cyclists will be tainted with the bad habits of those who came before them.

Cazeneuve will hold a meeting with the heads of the French team on Friday to discuss the upcoming Olympic Games, but he said of Gaumont, "I am appalled to hear that Philippe Gaumont is again caught up in this. He tested positive in 1996, then again in 1997. He was investigated in 1999 and again in 2003. What is he still doing here?"

At present, Madejak is the only individual jailed.

More alarmingly, Alain Bondue, general manager of the Cofidis team, told various French television stations yesterday that were a doping ring discovered within the Cofidis team (which is how authorities seem to be characterizing their investigation) that had been undetectable despite the team's efforts, it would be logical for the sponsor to end the team.

Today, the big news is that someone has leaked information contained in wiretaps the French authorities have in their possession. This has of course caused a furor among the authorities, though they will not say whether the information release is genuine, and details about the information contained in the released wiretaps is sketchy - for example, those speaking are not necessarily identified. The French publication Le Point has published various conversations alleged to have taken place by some of the individuals under investigation.

Either the press or the authorities have also alleged, perhaps based on released wiretaps, that blood transfusions, so-called blood doping, was carried on at the Tour de France last year in the Cofidis team. Bondue and Cofidis Chairman François Migraine flatly denied this theory.

Bondue said, "How many hematologists have you consulted? Imagine the infrastructure, the logistics necessary. It would be visible and we would see it. During the Tour, I was in the rooms during the three weeks."

Migraine added he would fire any Cofidis team member who was proven guilty of any doping offenses.

AMD and US Postal Team Up

Sunnyvale, Calif.--(Business Wire)--Jan. 22, 2004--AMD (NYSE:AMD) today announced a technology sponsorship agreement with Lance Armstrong and the United States Postal Service Pro Cycling Team. The agreement, which runs through 2004, creates a unique technical relationship between AMD, a leading global technology company, and the premier team in international cycling, led by five-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong.

"The sport of cycling is extremely competitive and the difference between a good team and a great team is increasingly dependent upon cutting-edge technology," said Lance Armstrong. "We evaluate and dial-in every aspect of our training, conditioning and preparation to give us a competitive advantage and shave seconds off our race times. AMD technology products will help give us this advantage, and I believe AMD will play a vital role for the USPS team this season."

As the official Technology Partner and exclusive semiconductor sponsor, AMD will supply the team with the latest in technology including computer systems based on the AMD Athlon(TM) 64 FX processor, the most technically advanced and highest performing 32-bit and 64-bit PC processor in the world. The agreement kicks off as the team begins their crucial off-season training program and will power the team through the 2004 cycling season, including Armstrong's bid for an unprecedented sixth Tour de France victory.

AMD, Lance Armstrong, and the USPS Pro Cycling Team all share the strength, determination and passion to win in the most competitive environments in the world and so it's with great pleasure that we announce this new alliance," said Henri Richard, AMD's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing. "Lance and the USPS cycling team need powerful and reliable computing and communications equipment in order to continue their dominance in the highly competitive environment of professional cycling."

The USPS Pro Cycling Team is the only American team to win the prestigious Tour de France, having won it in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003. The Tour de France is the premier international cycling event and attracts more than 20 million spectators and more than 555 million television viewers annually.

You can view a short movie clip of Lance Armstrong discussing the new partnership here.

About AMD--AMD (NYSE:AMD) designs and produces microprocessors, Flash memory devices and system-on-chip solutions for the computer, communications and consumer electronics industries. AMD is dedicated to helping its customers deliver standards-based, customer-focused solutions for technology users, ranging from enterprises to government agencies and individual consumers. Founded in 1969, AMD is a Standard & Poor's 500 company with global operations and manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe, Japan and Asia.

AMD on the Web--For more AMD news and product information, please visit our virtual pressroom at www.amd.com/news/virtualpress/index.html. Additional press releases are available at www.amd.com/news/news.html.

About Tailwind Sports--Tailwind Sports Corporation is a sports marketing agency that owns the United States Postal Service Pro Cycling Team, presented by Berry Floor. The USPS team is the only American-based team ever to win the sport's premier event, the Tour de France (1999-2003). San Francisco-based Tailwind Sports also produces the premier U.S. cycling race, the T-Mobile International, presented by BMC Software.

About Capital Sports & Entertainment--Based in Austin, Texas, Capital Sports & Entertainment is an integrated management and marketing firm providing services to athletes, artists, events, and entertainment brands. Marquee clients include five-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, national Medal of Arts winner Austin City Limits and the Austin City Limits Music Festival, the U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team, and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Abra Moore. Capital Sports & Entertainment (CSE) and Tailwind Sports jointly own and manage the USPS Team.  

De Nardi News

Gianluigi Stanga, team manager of the De Nardi, announces a new co-sponsor for 2004.

The new name to feature on the shirts of De Nardi is CEROX, a healthcare firm who retail amongst other things wound care products from Bouty who use Alltracel’s unique blood-stopping ingredient m.doc™.

The blood-stopping m.doc™ ingredient has been progressively featured across the range of Bouty’s woundcare portfolio and currently features in all its key consumer woundcare products.

For the first time the team from di Ponte San Pietro will compete in the 1st Division and Wegelius fans will be hoping that the rider from York continues to progress and is given a loose rein in the Giro for stage hunting.

De Nardi-Colpack Riders 2004

Ruggero Borghi (Ita) - Simone Cadamuro (Ita) - Graziano Gasparre (Ita) Leonardo Giordani (Ita) - Michele Gobbi (Ita) - Enrico Grigoli (Ita) Serhiy Honchar (Ukr) - Matej Jurco (Svk) - Mirko Lorenzetto (Ita) Devis Miorin (Ita) - Rafael Nuritdinov (Uzb) - Igor Pugaci (Mda) - Antonio Rizzi (Ita) Andrea Rossi (Ita) - Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) - Charles Wegelius (GBr). (Team roster courtesy of the excellent Cycling4All)

Saunier Duval News

Spanish outfit Saunier Duval today announced it probable lineup for the Tour of Qatar which starts next week. The squad will be Juanjo Cobo, Litu Gómez, Fran Ventoso, Manuele Mori, Oliver Zaugg, David Cañada, Rubens Bertogliati and the winner of the last edition, Italiano Alberto Loddo.

Loddo of Arabia! Courtesy Lampre.

Olympics: IOC Uneasy over Preparations

While expressing some faint praise for the pace of Greece’s preparations for the August Olympics, a top International Olympic Committee inspector yesterday indicated a level of concern regarding several key projects.

These included the new roofs for the main Olympic stadium, the cycling track and the open-air swimming pool — all at the Kalogreza Olympic complex — as well the urban rail and and tram networks.

At the opening of a two-day inspection visit, IOC Vice President and Chairman of the Athens Coordination Commission Denis Oswald issued a statement warning that “the deadline of August 13 looms larger by the day.”

“It is vital that current completion dates be respected,” he said. “We have received commitments from government ministers that all work will be completed in time for testing and for finishing touches before the Games begin.”

“It is wonderful to see so many people hard at work all across the city,” Oswald conceded. “We look forward to seeing the end results during the coming months.”

Sources told Kathimerini that, apart from the three roofs - two of which were designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava - and the public transport networks, the IOC inspection team Oswald is heading expressed concern regarding the power infrastructure for the Games, raising the specter of electricity cuts during the Olympics. Fears have been expressed that a planned Public Power Corporation substation in Korydallos might not go ahead, while another new substation at Vrilissia is also behind schedule.

IOC officials are also understood to be concerned about traffic management systems.

Prime Minister Costas Simitis will chair an interministerial meeting on the Olympics today.

29th Vuelta Ciclista a Cuba

Havana-- The Cuban Federation of Cycling has announced the route of the XXIX Vuelta Ciclista a Cuba that will commence on February 10, 2004. The thirteen stages will start in the city of Primada de Baracaoa and finish February 22nd  in the city of Havana, having covered 1979 km across the island.

The race will contain 39 meta volantes and seven mountain climbs, including the mythic ascent of the  La Gran Piedra (The Great Stone), plus two time trials, a team TT of 74 km and an individual time trial of 40 km.

Confirmed teams so far are the National federations of United States, Spain, France, Italy, Holland and Venezuela. (Courtesy MGz System)

Courtesy MGz System.

Vuelta Ciclista a Cuba Stages

February 10 - Stage 1: Baracoa - Guantánamo 153 km.
February 11 - Stage 2: Guantánamo - La Gran Piedra 138 km.
February 12 - Stage 3: Santiago de Cuba – Bayamo 125 km.
February 13 - Stage 4: Bayamo - Holguín (C.R.E.) 74 km.
February 14 - Stage 5: Holguín - Camaguey 202 km.
February 15 - Stage 6: Camaguey - Ciego de Ávila 116 km.
February 16 - Stage 7: Ciego de Ávila - Sancti. Spíritus 193 km.
February 17 - Stage 8: Sancti Spíritus - Santa Clara 157 km.
February 18 - Stage 9: Santa Clara – Cienfuegos 169 km.
February 19 - Stage 10A: Cienfuegos – Cárdenas 176 km.
February 19 - Stage 10B: Cárdenas - Matanzas (C.R.I.) 40 km.
February 20 - Stage 11: Matanzas - San Antonio de los Baños 120 km.
February 21 - Stage 12: San Antonio de los Baños - Pinar del Rió 207 km.
February 22 - Stage 13: San Cristóbal - Ciudad de la Habana 109 km

Children of the Revolution - Revolution 2

The Second Revolution...includes an inline speed skating versus track rider exhibition!

The second event in the new Revolution Series is almost here with the final star riders now confirmed to race at the Manchester Velodrome this Saturday. World Pursuit Champion Bradley Wiggins will return for Revolution 2 and top British sprinter Jamie Staff is confirmed to race in the Keirin. To enhance the international contingent, the Greek and Irish National teams are also making the trip to Manchester to take on the British stars.

One of the highlights of the evening will be the 1km Madison time trial competition with the 2001 World Madison Champion, Jerome Neuville and the 2002 World Madison Silver medallist, Roland Garber teaming up to race against the top British riders. 

Included in the Revolution 2 programme will also be a couple of exhibition races involving two of Britain’s top inline speed skaters, Chris Stafford and Vincent Henry. They will be racing against each other and going up against one of the track stars in a pursuit style head to head. The skaters can reach speeds of over 30mph so it should make for an interesting competition!

For further information on the race programme and riders attending please visit www.cyclingrevolution.com or call the information line on 0700 594 2579. Tickets will be available on the night from the Velodrome box office.

Hudson Mathieu Looking at Seychelles Sportsman of the Year

Seychelles, the Cinnamon Isle in the Indian Ocean, has shortlisted Hudson Mathieu for the title of sportsman of the year. The Seychelles Nation newspaper carried this report:

Hudson Mathieu, twice runner-up to outgoing Sportsman of the Year Allan Julie in 2000 and 2001, is once again a candidate for the supreme title. The four-time Young Male Athlete of the Year award winner, who was third overall in 1999 and 2002 and finished fifth in 1998, is benefiting from a two-year Olympic Solidarity-sponsored scholarship in Switzerland and is training at the renowned World Cycling Centre.

The 22-year-old sprint specialist won the individual time-trial gold medal of the Sixth IOIG and was placed third for a bronze medal in the team time-trial with teammates Jim Melanie, Andy Rose and Andrew Boniface.

During the Eighth All-Africa Games in Abuja, Nigeria, Mathieu, who progressed immensely in 2003 to win a sixth National Championship crown and break two Seychelles records in the process, won a bronze medal in the 50-km individual time-trial in a time of 54 minutes 56 seconds (54:56), five seconds slower than gold medallist J. Marten of South Africa.

"I can't say much about who is going to win the Sportsman of the Year title. It is going to be a tight race but I'm confident of featuring in the top five," said Mathieu.

America’s Cycling Team presented by UPMC (ACT-UPMC)

America’s Cycling Team, LLC. is pleased to announce its 2004 elite men’s team, sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (Pennsylvania). Comprised of seven UCI elite riders, the team will compete in events throughout the United States, Latin America and other foreign locales.

Roster:
Alejandro Acton (Argentina) – stage winner, 2003 Vuelta a Chile
Gregorio Bare (Uruguay) – 1999 UCI B World Road Champion
Gerardo Castro (Uruguay) – Uruguayan National Track Champion
Joe Papp (USA) – stage winner, 2003 Vuelta a Cuba
Mateo Sasso (Uruguay) – Uruguayan National Road Champion
Ward Solar (USA) – 24-hour solo MTB World Championship participant
Alvaro Tardaguila (Uruguay) – Uruguayan National Road Champion
Team Director – Michael A. Fraysse
Team Coach – Eddie Borysewicz
Team Physician – Dr. Freddie H. Fu
Team Mechanic/Tech Support – Mark Albert, Westwood Cycle
Corporate Management - America’s Cycling Team, LLC.

Joe Papp and Mateo Sasso, Uruguayan Road Champ, on the podium. Courtesy Mike Fraysse Sports.

“At present, the team is capable of winning both shorter stage races and one-day events,” said team director Mike Fraysse. In 2003, ACT-UPMC won the Vuelta a Cuba (UCI 2.5) with Todd Herriott, but was unable to retain him for 2004. “We’re still considering adding several athletes to the roster,” explained Fraysse, “and will most likely recall Milton Wynants from Uruguay for a better part of the US domestic season.” Wynants, who competed for UPMC in 2003, is the reigning Pan American Games road and points race champion.

The team, which just concluded its first training camp in Minas, Uruguay, will start the 2004 season with the Vuelta a Cienfuegos (29 Jan-2 Feb), then the UCI 2.5 Vuelta a Cuba (10-22 Feb) before traveling to Chile for the Vuelta a Chile (also UCI 2.5) 11-22 March.

In 2003, the team competed in such prestigious international events as the Vuelta a Chile, Vuelta a Uruguay, the Vuelta a Venezuela, the Herald Sun Tour and the Tour of Queensland. America’s Cycling Team, LLC. will also field elite junior and under-23 teams.

Mike Fraysse, recipient of the UCI Merit Award and inductee into the US Bicycling Hall of Fame, founded the America’s Cycling Team program in 1965. In the decades since, ACT riders have won over 650 events, including the Women’s Tour de France. Furthermore, ACT athletes have earned spots on World Championship and Olympic Teams (earning 15 medals along the way) and countless national squads.

The ACT program, which is comprised of a variety of affiliated clubs in the USA and abroad, offers racing opportunities for riders of all ages and abilities, but a special emphasis is placed on developing the Americas’ next class of professional cyclists.

“Unlike many elite racing teams, for which developing new riders is an afterthought,” says Fraysse, “our focus is on providing the support structure that will allow talented young cyclists to develop at their own pace. We want to identify promising riders when they are juniors and show them a clear path they can follow to join the elite ranks of cycling.”

America’s Cycling Team, LLC provides corporate management of the ACT program. Individuals and clubs interested in joining should contact Mike Fraysse.

Sponsors/Suppliers
UPMC Center for Sports Medicine - http://sportsmedicine.upmc.com/
Mike Fraysse Sports, LLC.
Rudy Project USA
Westwood Cycle
Extran
Verge Sport
SRM
Eddie B. Cycling

Currently-affiliated Developmental Clubs
NECSA – New England Cycling Support Association
NJBC – North Jersey Bicycle Club
PCC – Pittsburgh Cycling Club