Cycling News Roundup 6 June 2006
Team News, Yoplait Women's Summit, Tour of Denmark, Mt. Holly-Smithville Invitational GP, Marian College Hires Dean Peterson as Cycling Coach, Bike Advocacy News

CSC Dauphine Libere Stage 2 Comment
”Gilbert did really well today and the attempt to reel him in simply came too late. For us the main thing was to save our strength and concentrate on the time trial tomorrow, where Zabriskie is among the favorites. I consider the tomorrow's time trial and Thursday's stage to Mont Ventoux the most important in the race,” said sports director Alain Gallopin after the stage, where Stuart O'Grady led Team CSC in seventh place.

Phonak Hearing Systems
Floyd Landis Confident
Even after the first stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré Phonak team captain Floyd Landis remains completely confident. "I'm absolutely sure that I can count and rely on my team. Everything is running like clockwork on this team. In the coming days this well-coordinated team will be my most valuable capital," Landis said with conviction.

Tour of Denmark
Schedule August 2nd to 6th.
Skil/Shimano is the last team chosen for the Tour of Denmark 2006. Ivan Basso is scheduled to ride with Team CSC.

Teams:
Team CSC (Den)
Team T-Mobile (Ger)
Liquigas (Ita)
Davitamon/Lotto (Bel)
Gerolsteiner (Ger)
UniBet.com (Bel)
Panaria Navigare (Ita)
Team Barloworld (Gbr)
Chocolade Jacques – T Interim (Bel)
Team Intel Action (Pol)
Team GLS (Den)
Glud & Marstrand Horsens (Den)
Team Designa Køkken (Den)
Team LPR (Sch)
Skil-Shimano (Ned)
Team Post Danmark (Den)

John Lelangue Phonak
General Team Manager
du Dauphine "... a dress rehearsal for the Tour"
This week, the Phonak Cycling Team will be facing several opportunities. For us as well as many other teams, the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré will be a type of dress rehearsal for the Tour de France. We've come here with Floyd Landis as our leader and we also have several Tour candidates as his teammates. I'm convinced that we'll gain more insight this week in terms of the possible team line-up for the season climax in July.

Tour Team
I think we'll be able to announce most of the names for the Tour team by the end of this week. Also at the Tour de Suisse, which starts on Saturday, we'll be well represented with a strong team. We intend to provide a very exciting
race with our version of a "Swiss National Team", reinforced with Axel Merckx. The latest results by Gregory Rast (3rd at Gippingen) and Steve Morabito (2nd at the GP Schwarzwald) as well as the very good form displayed by Martin Elmiger and leader Alexandre Moos put us in a very confident mood. We can look forward to a very exciting and hopefully very successful week for our team.

Botero and Guitierrez no selection for races:
After consultation with the riders involved, Santiago Botero and José Enrique Gutierrez, the team management decided that neither rider will be selected for races until the examinations bring more clarity to the picture," Phonak said in a press release on its website.

"The Phonak Cycling Team has acted in direct response to the connections made in the Spanish media between certain Phonak Cycling Team riders and Dr Fuentes," read the press release.
"Botero and Gutierrez are neither dismissed nor suspended," added team manager John Lelangue. "In the interests of the team and to ensure calm for all team members for the coming races, we have decided to take this step."

"If further investigations show that the riders have used methods that are not permitted, they will of course be dismissed immediately."
Gutierrez and Sevilla are the two biggest riders to have been named as being under suspicion in a scandal which has already cost the Wurth team its partnership with Liberty Seguros.

My Season is Over...Botero
Contrary to what the Phonak release stated regarding a suspension; 2002 world time trial champion Santiago Botero says his season is over. "My season is prematurely over. I have neither illusions nor objectives," the Colombian told Spanish newspaper El Mundo. Perhaps Botero didn't get the message that he was not suspended by the team?

Astana/Wurth
A new Kazakh sponsor, Astana, is to back the ProTour cycling squad formerly known as Liberty Seguros-Wurth.
American insurance company Liberty Seguros pulled out last week. Astana is the same name as the capital of Kazakhstan. "The sponsor will be backed by the five biggest companies in the country," said a media release. "Kazakhstan is undergoing considerable economic growth thanks to the country's resources."

The deal is said to be for three years with the option of another three and the team will be known as Astana-Wurth. Wurth, a German engineering company, stayed with the squad as their second sponsor, after Liberty pulled out.

Kazakh Alexandre Vinokourov, third in the 2003 Tour de France and fifth last year, remains as team leader.

Women Cyclists Gather at the Yoplait Nouriche Summit
Conference is part of the Great River Energy Bicycle Festival
The Great River Energy Bicycle Festival will be the site of the next Yoplait Nouriche Women’s Cycling Summit. Topics on the agenda include gaining recognition for women in male-dominated sports and entry level programming for women.

Keynote Speaker Kari Miller
The keynote speaker will be NASCAR driver Kari Miller. Miller will discuss the challenges that she faces in a sport that has historically been the exclusive domain of men. She races in the weekly NASCAR series at the Shakopee track. Racing against men, she has scored wins in the Bomber and Short Track division and now races in the Late Model Division. Miller will be driving the pace car at the Nature Valley Grand Prix’s Minneapolis Downtown Classic and Stillater Criterium later in the week.

The subject will then turn to parallel challenges faced by women in cycling, with a leadoff talk by former US National Champion and 2002 Nature Valley Grand Prix Champion Laura Van Gilder. Miller will then join Van Gilder for a panel discussion that will include Jim Williams, the manager of Colavita Cooking Light, the top ranked women’s team in North America.

The second session of the Yoplait Nouriche Summit will focus on grassroots programming for women. The leadoff speaker will be Susy Pryde, the former professional racer who now coaches the New Zealand national women’s development team sponsored by Jazz Apple. The panel discussion that follows will include Pryde, Midwest Cycling Made Real’s Paula Plant, Bethany Collins, manager of the Colorado-based Rio Grande/Sports Garage team and USA Cycling Level II Coach Fiona Lockhart.

The Yoplait Nouriche Women’s Cycling Summit will be held at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, June 13, at the Kelly Inn in Saint Paul. The Summit is free and open to the public.

About the Yoplait Nouriche Women’s Cycling Summits: The Yoplait Summits, which are now sponsored by Yoplait Nouriche, began at the 2003 Great River Energy Bicycle Festival with the mission of building women’s cycling through networking and education. The Summits take place twice annually: at the Festival in June and at the Interbike trade show in October.
For more information, visit www.WomenCyclists.com or send E mail to Summits@WomenCyclists.com

2006 Mt. Holly-Smithville Invitational GP
$10,000.00 up for grabs
The 8th annual edition of the Mt. Holly-Smithville Invitational Grand Prix is set to race through Burlington County, New Jersey on July 22nd. The race has evolved into one of the most colorful and exciting midsummer events in the Delaware Valley Region.

The 92 mile (148 km) circuit race consists of seven laps of a 12 mile circuit through Mt. Holly and the surrounding towns of Easthampton, Westhampton and Springfield followed by three action packed 2.5 mile loops through Mt. Holly's residential and downtown business district.

Proceeds from this regional event benefit the H.B. Smith Industrial Village Conservancy, a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to improvements, restoration and programs in Burlington County’s historic Smithville Park. The conservancy programs and projects focus on making Smithville a family destination, where residents can indulge in recreational activities, in arts and music oriented programs, and in events that highlight the Park’s rich historic past and its role in the Industrial Revolution.

This year's event is open to UCI professional trade teams and a selection of elite amateur teams, who will compete for a $10,000 purse.
UCI pro teams that have already confirmed:
TargetTraining
AEG/Toshiba/JetNetwork
Navigators Insurance
Nerac/Outdoorlighting.com
Priority Health
Calyon/Litespeed

“We are excited about our participating in the Mt. Holly-Smithville Invitational GP. It’s regarded as of one the east coast’s premier classic road races. They have great support from their sponsors and the surrounding community. We are hoping to come away with another victory to add to an already successful season.” Ravi Rajicoomer (General Manager) AEG/Toshiba/JetNetwork pro cycling team.

“Because this event is in our sponsor’s backyard, we are making this a highly important goal for the team’s 2nd half of the season. There has only been one professional team that has been able to crack the hold of the elite amateurs on this course and we’re planning on being the team that wrestles that winner’s trophy away from them. There has yet to be field sprint at this event and we’ve got plenty of riders that love being in a small breakaway at the end of the race.”  Ken Mills D.S. TargetTraining pro cycling team.

“This will mark Priority Health’s first appearance at Mt. Holly. From the people that we’ve spoken to, there are nothing but good things to say about the race and the organization that promotes the race. It comes at a time in the year where there aren’t a lot of tough road races to use as preparation for the later part of the racing season. So we are looking forward to making an impression on the outcome of the race.”  Mark Olson D.S. Priority Health pro cycling team

Teams wishing to be considered for participation can submit an application via the web at: www.co.burlington.nj.us/announcements/bikerace

The team application/selection process will end on July 3 and selected teams for the 2006 edition will be announced on July 7. The 2006 edition will see 27 pro and elite amateur teams invited with 6 riders per team. For additional information you can reach the race committee at mthollysmithvillegp@hotmail.com

Marian College Hires Dean Peterson as Cycling Coach
Well-known cyclist and teacher will expand program, integrate it into college’s mission
Dean Peterson has been hired by Marian College to be the coach for its championship cycling program. Peterson is a well-known cyclist who was a silver medalist at the Pan American Masters Cycling Championships in Havana, Cuba. He is also a teacher, most recently at The Orchard School in Indianapolis, where he taught fifth grade literature, language arts, and math.

Bilingual in French, Peterson led several field trips to France for Orchard students. He also works with VeloSport Vacations as a team leader and guide; the organization guides bicycle tours for adults throughout France during the annual Tour de France bicycle race. He is an experienced trainer and owns his own coaching consulting firm, DAPGEAR Coaching Services.

Peterson holds degrees from Butler University (M.S. in education administration) and Purdue University (B.S. in organizational leadership). In addition to The Orchard School, he taught at the Garden School in Zionsville and served with the United States Peace Corp in Togo, West Africa as a teacher, trainer, and technical consultant.

Marian College director of athletics, Joe Haklin, believes that Peterson’s experience will attract many prospective student-athletes to the program. “Marian College is committed to growing its highly-successful cycling program and we believe that there is pent-up demand across the country for a competitive collegiate cycling program,” said Haklin. Sixteen student-athletes were rostered on the spring cycling team; Haklin believes the program can easily accommodate additional cyclists in both the road cycling (spring) and track cycling (fall) seasons. The 2006 National Collegiate Cycling Association (NCCA) track cycling championships will be held at the Major Taylor Velodrome in September; Marian College has hosted the event four times (1993, 1998, 2001, and 2003).

Peterson will also be a member of the Department of Education at Marian College, where he will supervise student teachers. His coaching background, including a certification as a spin instructor, means he will be able to provide additional health and wellness opportunities to the entire Marian College campus community. “Marian College emphasizes a whole-person education where athletics—health and wellness—is one component of a well-rounded collegiate experience,” said Haklin. “Dean’s language skills, teaching experience, and demonstrated success as a competitive cyclist are great assets for Marian College,” he continued.

About Marian College: Marian College is the only Catholic liberal arts college in central Indiana. It is a private, co-educational school offering classes to both traditional and non-traditional students. Located two miles north of downtown Indianapolis, Marian College is a Catholic college dedicated to excellent teaching and learning in the Franciscan and liberal arts traditions.
About Dean Peterson: Peterson has owned DAPGEAR Coaching Services since 2003, a firm that trains cyclists, runners, and multi-sport endurance athletes. He co-created and facilitates the Tour de Spinning inclusive fitness simulation of the Tour de France for spin programs. Peterson also directs bicycle training camps in the Great Smoky Mountains and leads bicycle tours throughout France during the Tour de France.

 Peterson is fluent in French and maintains a deep interest in multi-culturalism and teaching/learning through multiple perspectives. He taught for 14 years at The Orchard School in Indianapolis and served in the Peace Corp in Togo, West Africa (1988-91). His commitment to children, education, and community is very strong and reflected in his work with autistic children and his development and leadership of the Children First cycling team, a professional 1-2 cycling team that competed nationally to help raise awareness and funds for abused and disadvantaged youth in Indiana.
He has been an elementary and middle school teacher since 1991. His teaching career includes an emphasis on literacy, service learning, learning communities, and integrated, project-based curricula.
Education: B.S., Purdue University; M.S., Butler University

Bike Advocacy News
Bicycle Commuter Bill Update
On May 31, 2006, the Joint Committee on Taxation provided a revenue estimate for Senate Bill (S.2635), the Bicycle Commuters Benefits Act, which Sen. Wyden (D-OR) introduced in April of 2006. The five-year score, which estimates the impact the Bill will have on the federal budget, is estimated at $78 million over five years. This is great news, as it is significantly less than the ten-year score of $1.4 billion received by similar legislation in the House of Representatives two years ago. Click here to visit the League's advocacy center and speak up to your Representatives about the importance of this bill.

Lawsuit Wins A1A Concessions from FDOT
The Boca Raton Bicycle Club and the League of American Bicyclists are pleased to announce that the Florida Department of Transportation will file the formal documentation setting forth its decisions regarding the provision of bicycle lanes on State Road A1A in Palm Beach County. The Club and LAB (along with Palm Beach County resident Bruce Rosenszweig) filed a lawsuit on March 1, 2006 in Leon County Circuit Court, requesting that the Court issue a mandamus requiring the FDOT to prepare and file formal design variation documentation justifying its decision not to include full bicycle facilities in the renovations to A1A in Palm Beach County. The FDOT also stipulated in open court that its substantive decisions regarding A1A can be challenged in an administrative proceeding pursuant to Florida Chapter 120. Accordingly, the pending Circuit Court case will be stayed pending the completion of the administrative challenge.

Calling All Lawyers
You won't hear this very often, but the League really does want to hear from lawyers who specialize in bicycling and people that provide expert witness services. In response to numerous legal cases, we're compiling a directory of lawyers and expert witnesses who are willing and able to assist cyclists. Contact Mike Mackin with your information.

Bikes Belong Supports Complete Streets
Bikes Belong has made a significant contribution to the National Complete Streets Coalition. Bikes Belong is providing a $15,000 grant to match donations by the AARP and ASLA. Bikes Belong has provided long-term support to complete streets through its funding of America Bikes, where the coalition was initially formed. The new funding will allow the coalition to begin work on its three-part campaign to encourage adoption of complete streets policies across the country.

Bike Laws Update
In the last edition of American Bicyclist Update, the League erroneously reported that three states have safe passing laws. Arthur Ross, of Madison, Wis., corrected us, saying, "I believe Wisconsin was the first with a safe passing law, dating back to 1974, and has provided a penalty since that time. Minnesota has a similar law, passed several years ago. So there are now at least five states with a safe passing law, and at least three with penalties."

FHWA Environmental Excellence Awards
The Federal Highway Administration's biannual Environmental Excellence Awards honors partners, projects, and processes that excel in meeting growing transportation needs while protecting and enhancing the environment. To find out more about the program, and to apply, click here.

Mayor Daley Honored for Bicycle Work
Chicago, Ill. Mayor Richard Daley was toasted on June 4 at the U.S. Conference of Mayors with an award for leadership in making Chicago more livable. Daley was given an award for the Chicago Bicycle Program, which helped establish 100 miles of bike lanes and 50 miles of off-street bike trails.

Grand Jury Speaks Up on Bicycle Safety
A grand jury in San Luis Obispo, Calif. was asked to investigate bicycling and came up with some great recommendations: education and enforcement! Click here to read the report.

Taiwan's Premier Speaks Up for Bicycling
In an article in the Taipei Times on June 1, Taiwan's Premier Su Tseng-chang promises to build 2,600 km of bike lanes by 2011 and to amend related traffic rules to protect bicyclists' rights. Click here to read the whole story.

Bicycle Jobs Open in Missouri, Montana
Three jobs in bicycle advocacy have opened in recent weeks. They include Tours Manager and Membership and Marketing Associate at the Adventure Cycling Association in Missoula, Mont. and Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator for Columbia, Mo. Good luck, potential bicycling advocates.

WADA to Assist Spanish Authorities in Doping Investigation
Montreal, 5 June 2006 - The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) today announced that it will assist the Spanish authorities in their investigation into possible doping practices in sport.
Following the seizure of various equipment, substances, and bags of blood by the Spanish police in late May, the Spanish Superior Council for Sports requested WADA’s scientific assistance to make sure that these be analyzed in the best possible way.
WADA welcomed this request and will provide full support. In addition, the Agency will send experts to Spain this week to help the Spanish authorities in their ongoing work.