AFP PHOTO / FRANCK FIFE
Erik Zabel must be high on spilling the beans. After his painful admission to using EPO in the 90s, Zabel now admits to causing the crash in stage 2 that took out all but 25 racers going into the finish. The dicey crash through a narrow road cut off most of the peloton and looked worse that it actually was. The only casualty from the race was Discovery Channel’s Tomas Vaitkus who needed thumb surgery. The pictures of racers limping home holding their arms was striking. But once everyone was cleaned up and bandaged no one was that badly off.
Zabel must want a totally free conscience and seems ready to give up information on just about anything. Zabel admitted to shifting quickly into the path of Liquigas racer Manual Quinzato. The touch of wheels cause the mass pile up.
In the team dinner last night Zabel also admitted to eating the last baguette and not offering it to anyone before chomping on it. Roommate Andrey Grivko confronted Zabel on the empty roll of toilet paper in the bathroom to which Zabel quickly spilled the beans and admitted he forgot to change it before he left.
(photo from ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images)
No Ale-Jet putting on the afterburners in the sprint stages this year. The high levels of Salbutamol
during the Giro caused a non-negative test result. Milram suspended Petacchi pending the outcome of the case. Today Ettore Torri a CONI anti-doping prosecutor recommended to a one year ban for Petacchi to the Italian Cycling Fedaration.
This ruling has cost Petacchi his place in the Tour and possibly at next years Giro and Tour also depending on when the suspension is set to begin and of the Pro Tour code of ethics is attached to this punishment. That would mean that Petacchi could not race in ProTour events for two years after his one year suspension is finished.
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Ivan Basso’s Operation Puerto case took another slow step forward. Today Basso met with CONI for the followup meeting that was originally scheduled for September 12th. The meeting lasted for one hour and no descision was made official as of yet.
The documents are now going to the Judge in Cosenza who will need two or three more days to decide on the case that many are predicting will be dropped. The lack of evidence against Basso in the Operation Puerto case gives CONI not much choice.
After the eventual resolution of the case the only hurdle for Basso’s return to racing is his contract situation with CSC. Bjanrne Riis wants definative proof that Ivan Basso was not involved with Fuentes. Word of Basso and Riis’ relationship has varied, some say they are still friends, while others say the relationship has deteriorated to the point where Basso may have to look for another team. Milram and Discovery Channel are two teams that have been rumored to pick up Basso if he is not a CSC man next year. The likelyhood of Basso riding in a blue jersey is prety much up to where you get your news.
From what Tuttobiciweb reports, the outcome of this situation could see Basso return to racing very soon. Basso has been training on his bike despite no racing and was recently spotted riding with the Italian national team just before the World Championships last weekend. Perhaps with a quick return to action we may see Basso line up for the Giro di Lombardia.
http://ivanbasso.net/
http://www.tuttobiciweb.com/home.htm
Yesterday’s Giro di Lucca produced another Ale-Jet victory. This is no surprise as Petacchi has shown great form this year and is on an early hot streak. The difference yesterday was that Erik Zabel was racing with Petacchi and acted as leadout man for the Italian. This is a newer development for the German-Italian team which before yesterday had Petacchi and Zabel racing separately.
“In the race I was really nervous because after 12 years as a leader this was the first time to give a real lead-out to a teammate,” said Zabel via Bici Race
Zabel despite having the junior version of the Milram leadout train was not able to get anything better than second place in several races. The Zabel contingent was only able to get a victory with Elia Rigotto who slipped off the front at the Tour Méditerranéen back in February.
Zabel’s new role may be a tough pill for the experienced German to swallow, but he is the ultimate professional. Having a top-of-the-line leadout man such as Zabel will prove invaluable for Petacchi in races such as Milan San Remo where the Treno Blu of Quick Step will be working hard for the World Champ Boonen to take a win.
The switch from Marco Velo to Erik Zabel as the final leadout man is probably for preparation for Milan San Remo. There would be less pressure for a rider as large as Velo to make it in the final group in San Remo.
Petacchi is hinting at taking t easy at Tirreno Adriatico this week. Perhaps he is trying to save his energy for Milan San Remo, but too many on-form cyclist have been downplaying their ambitions and form. So I look for Petacchi to win every sprint stage possible.
Bici Race
Alessandro Petacchi is pumped from is 2-1 edge over World Champion Tom Boonen in the recent Rute del Sol. AleJet’s eary season form is showing that the team is gelling to his liking. Erik Zabel’s string of second place victories is showing that the once formidable sprinter just doesn’t have the extra snap needed to get the win. Therefore, the Milram totem pole is set and Petacchi is placed squarely at the top meaning that for the big races, he will have the team’s full support.
The early success has prompted Petacchi to plan big for 2006.
After the early success I am convinced that I should race the Giro, Tour and Vuelta with the goal of winning at least one stage in each race. –Petacchi
The first victories in February at Donoratico and in the two stages of the Ruta del Sol inf ront of the Rainbow clad Boonen confirms to me that my form is good. In Milan San Remo Erik Zabel will be ready to help me repeat the success of last year. The Tour of Flanders and Gent Wevelgem are my main objectives for April. Then of course in May I will try for a victory in the Corsa Rosa.
The Giro is not easy with a very difficult parcours. This is the same case for the Tour and Vuelta. To repeat what I did in 2003 when I won stages in all three Grand Tours will be a great challenge for me yet again.
TuttoBici
Elia Rigotto is the Milram leadout man who got a chance for his own win at the Tour of Med. Rigotto won the last stage of the Tour of Med on a day where he was hoping to deliver team captain Erik Zabel to another second place. Instead the properly tattooed Italian took the stage win for himself when a gap opened up between him and his captain.
“Win one kilometer to go, I went to the head of the peloton. Leading the group, I entered a tunnel with lots of speed and Zabel on my wheel but when we exited the tunnel I saw that I had a gap on the field which is when I decided to go for the win.”
The 23 year old leadout man seems destined for more wins since his star tattooes placed on his triceps are the perfect enhancement to a win.
Tom Boonen is showing that the World Champion’s curse does not apply to him. Maybe it is the magic of the mullet? Boonen has been dominating the competition in the Middle East winning the Doha GP and two stages of the Tour de Qatar. Boonen has been undefeated in races where he has worn the World Champion’s jersey.
The man who wanted to wear Boonen’s multicolored shirt will be starting his season in the GP Costa delle Etruschi. Alessandro Petacchi ended 2005 on a dissapointing note as he was heavily favored to win the World Championships road race, but did not have the gas to get to the end. A new team may mean a fresh start for many cyclist, but Petacchi had a formidable leadout train already established. The new Milram team brings in a few Fassa Bortolo men from the “Silver Train” to the new blue team. Boonen’s Quick-Step team have developed a formidable train of their own, and it seems to be clicking already in January. Will Petacchi feel that he has to respond to Boonen’s domination in the Mid-East by taking a few early wins in the GP Etruschi?
Petacchi may face some hungry sprinters such as Enrico Degano of Barloworld, who will want to take a win for the newly revamped team under Claudio Corti. Fabio Baldato is now on the small Tenax team and may feel a bit rejuvanted. Plus, there may be the presence of the new Brazilian sprinting sensation Murlino Fischer. Petacchi may have his hands full and it is only February.
The GP Etruschi starts on Febrary 3rd.
