Five Things Every Cycling Fan Should Know About Today: September 20th, 2012
5. Ponferrada Has 30 Days
After news that the 2014 Ponferrado Worlds are struggling financially, the UCI has issued a statement on the matter that reads, "Concerning the UCI Road World Championships 2014, the Management Committee decided to grant the organizers of the Ponferrada (ESP) event 30 days to meet contractual commitments, after which time if these had not been met the event would be withdrawn from them. No alternative sites have been discussed, as Ponferrada was the only city put forward to the management committee at last year's worlds in Copenhagen, Denmark. Greenville, NC, USA will host the Para-cycling Road World Championships in 2014, but may be an unlikely destination, given that Richmond, Virginia, USA, will host the 2015 edition of the race.
4. Course Updates: Giro to include Galibier in tribute to Pantani; Gent-Wevelgem Honors History of Europe
The Giro d'Italia has announced that the 15th stage of this year's edition will see the race cross into France for the first time since Danilo Di Luca won the race in 2007, to tackle the Galibier. The route will feature the Col du Telegraphe on the way to a summit finish at Galibier. The stage will honor Marco Pantani, who, after winning the 1998 Giro d'Italia, lost several minutes in the early stages of the 1998 Tour, but took 9 minutes out of the yellow jersey wearer Jan Ullrich in the final four kilometers of the Galibier on a truly epic day. This year's edition will mark the 15th anniversary of Pantani's wins.
In another ode to history, Gent-Wevelgem will pass through the town of Ypres during the next five editions of the race, commemorating the 100th anniversary of World War I. Ypres was the site of long and intense, bloody battles during the war, bearing witness to a half million casualties on both sides. Instead of heading directly to Wevelgem after the climbs of the Rodeberg and Kemmelberg, the race will pass through Ypres.
3. Operacion Puerto Trial to Begin in January
Seven years after the case was cracked wide open, Operacion Puerto will finally see Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes and five others go on trial starting January 28th, 2013. Fuentes will be joined by Yolanda Fuentes, Jose Luis Merino Batres, trainer Ignacio Labarta, former ONCE team manager Manolo Saiz and former Kelme manager Vicente Belda, each of whom face a two year prison sentence if found guilty. At the time of the raid on Fuentes' clinic, doping was not a crime in Spain, so they are being accused of crimes against public health.
35 people have been called as witness, including some of the biggest names in the sport: Alberto Contador, Ivan Basso, Michele Scarponi, Joseba Beloki, Angel Vicioso, Jorge Jacksche, Gianpaolo Caruso and Jesus Manzano among them, as well as the 13 police who carried out the raid. It is not yet known if Tyler Hamilton will also be called as a witness, as he recently confessed in his book to working with Fuentes during his time at Team CSC.
There is an expectation that more names could come out in the trial, as further details are exposed. The UCI, WADA, CONI, Manzano, the Spanish Cycling Federation, and the AIGCP (Association of Professional Cycling teams) are all third parties to the trial.
2. Transfer News
Amets Txurruka Released by Euskaltel - The popular domestique, made famous by his podium appearance at the 2007 Tour de France as the most aggressive rider has been released by the Basque team in a phone conversation with manager Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano. Said to be at issue are his lack of world tour points, and the team's move towards signing riders from outside of the Basque region to continue on the ProTour level. Txurruka rode all three grand tours this year, finishing the Giro and Vuelta, and may soon find himself the symbol for the inherent problems in the UCI's point ranking system that undervalues domestiques. It is rumored that Ivan Velasco suffered the same fate, as he also has zero world tour points to his name
Oliver Zaugg to Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank from Radioshack-Nissan - Last year's Giro di Lombardia winner has signed with Saxo Bank, where he says he will serve a dual role of both domestique, and leader on certain days. He says that switching teams will help him find new motivations going forward. Zaugg finished in 15th place in both Canadian races this season. Zaugg joins Nicolas Roche and Roman Kreuziger as signings to Bjarne Riis' team.
Jose Serpa to Lampre-ISD from Androni-Giocattoli - The Colombian is set to leave the team with he turned professional seven years ago, heading to Lampre where he will serve as a key domestique for Michele Scarponi in the Giro d'Italia. Twice a winner of Tour de Langkawi, Serpa's own designs on the overall at the Giro were hampered by a crash early in the race. His mountain climbing skills are sure to be of value to Scarponi at the Italian race, as he was oftentimes isolated, with Damiano Cunego doing his own thing.
1. Liquigas Dropped as Title Sponsor
After the recent acquisition of Liquigas Sport by Brixia, the team will become Cannondale Pro Cycling Team in 2012. It is the first time Cannondale has title-sponsored a Pro Team, and makes the move after working with Roberto Amadio for the past six years providing bikes for the team. I just hope they keep those awesome green and blue jerseys. It'd be a sad day for cycling fashion that they leave the sport.