The Gossip Page

Life's a Beach Edition.

This morning we received an urgent phone call. It was the Beach calling to demand our presence. The entirety of the staff here at the Gossip World Headquarters jumped on our beach cruiser and headed out. Did I mention it was urgent?

But now we have attended to that emergency, and it's time to sit back on the couch and enjoy a nice Gossip. Really, this must be the best part of the day. If only we could get the sand off our toes.

Carlos Sastre is not our future, says Bjarne Riis. In an interview Friday, Riis said that the Schlecks, Chris Anker Sorensen, and Fabian Cancellara will carry the team in the coming seasons. "They are coming on so strongly in the last months... that there is no longer space for Sastre," said Riis. Cervélo is also no longer the future of CSC-Saxo. Instead, the team will ride Specialized, beginning next season.

Diario Vasco claims they know what happens next. According to the Basque paper, Sastre will leave CSC to join the new Cervélo team led by Christian Henn. They report that Sastre will bring climber Iñigo Questa, a close friend to Sastre, to the new team. Carlos Sastre has yet to confirm these rumors, and no official announcement about Henn's involvement in the new Cervélo team has yet emerged. We hesitate to question the journalists at Diario Vasco. For after all, we are merely the Gossip column. But we can't help but wonder if this story is, well, maybe not quite true. That Cervélo denied any involvement with Gerolsteiner in their recent press release confirming their intention to start a new team makes us just a little, well, skeptical. Sastre has previously said he will announce his plans after the Vuelta. We will try to wait patiently for his announcement. Patience, it should be noted, is not our strong suit.

To thicken the plot, the German press Friday reported that Christian Henn will sign on to DS the German team Milram. Fabian Wegmann is expected to join him. Five other former Gerolsteiner riders are currently in negoatiations with Milram: Markus and Thomas Fothen, Heinrich Haussler, Johannes Fröhlinger, and Tim Klinger. Blue is the new Blue. Stefan Schumacher is expected to decide upon his new team next week. Bernhard Kohl has a new team, but he isn't telling. Kohl will announce on 8 September. Davide Rebellin, formerly linked to LPR, is now reportedly close to a deal with Liquigas, where he rode in 2000 and 2001. Plus ça change, and around it goes.

Bjarne Riis has forbidden Jakob Fuglsang of CSC-Saxo Bank from riding with Michael Rasmussen. Fuglsang was apparently hanging out in Italy, training with Rasmussen. Riis is not pleased with the association, and has told Fuglsang to stay away from the Rasmussen, who rode for CSC in 2002. Riis did not renew his contract. Oh, and Fuglsang, if he asks you to carry his shoes, say no. Just trying to help.

Chris Anker Sorensen was supposed to ride the Tour of Germany. But he isn't there. Why? The young Danish climber injured his knee and was not able to train well enough. It was too late to find a substitute for Sorensen, so CSC-Saxo Bank is riding the D-Tour with only seven riders.

After three years at QuickStep, Juan Manuel Garate will ride for Rabobank for the next two seasons. The 32 year old Spanish climber finished fourth in the Giro a few years back and won a stage on the Passo di San Pelligrino. His stage win is maybe more famous for who didn't win. Jens Voigt, after sitting on the break all day, refused to sprint for the stage win, much to the ire of DS Bjarne Riis. Garate had worked, and in the view of the determined German, earned the stage win. Garate will provide nice climbing support to Denis Menchov, who renewed his contract with Rabobank earlier this season, and to Robert Gesink, who may or may not turn out to be a grand tour contender. More on that in a few weeks. Rabobank has also signed 23 year old Tom Stamsnijder from team Gerolsteiner. Stamsnijder is a past national crono champion in the Netherlands, and won the Ronde van Vlanderen for juniors.

No more 'nags. Rabobank will exchange long-time bike sponsor Colnago for Giant. The new sponsor will also provide bikes for Rabobank's cyclocross team. Here at the Gossip, we have never seen a Giant cyclocross bike. We look forward to this new experience.

For their part, QuickStep hasn't been slacking entirely. They have secured the services of Belgian National Champion and this year's winner of the Ronde, Stijn Devolder. Devolder will ride for two more seasons with QuickStep, with an option for a third. In the game of musical bikes, QuickStep will now share Specialized with CSC-Saxo. Because everyone wants to be Special.

Worlds news! Though the Luxembourg federation has nine spots for worlds, thanks to the results obtained by the Schlecks and Kirchen, Luxembourg will only send three riders to Varese. Benoit Joachim are among those who will not be riding. The relationship between Joachim and the federation soured over a dispute over his travel expenses to worlds last year. Frank Schleck would prefer not to face down the nine member teams of Spain and Italy with only three riders. C'mon Frank, where's your sense of adventure? In any case, Schleck has asked the federation to invite a few young riders to the race to round out the roster. No word yet as to whether the suits will consider his request.

Rinaldo Nocentini of AG2R will ride this year's Vuelta in search of a stage win. In the absense of Vladimir Efimkin, who has flown to California to support his ill wife, Nocentini takes over as Vuelta team leader for AG2R. Nocentini does not consider himself a favorite for the classification, but will try to finish as high as he can. Unless you're Wim Vansevenant, that's an excellent goal.

We feel there are far too many races going on at the same time. If like us, you are lost and confused, here is a quick update. Mark Cavendish has won three stages of the Tour of Ireland. Definitely not messing around, that guy. Cavendish was reportedly profoundly unhappy at his inability to medal at the Olympics. He will now get even. Brett Lancaster won the prologue at the Deutschland Rundfahrt. Heh, heh, she said Rundfahrt. Saturday, the Vuelta begins. Sunday, the US Pro Championships race. Sometime after that, the Tour of Missouri starts. I mean, we like the bike racing here at the Gossip World Headquarters, but is it possible to have too much of a good thing? Probably not.

Oliver Zaugg can sit back, relax, and enjoy his Vuelta. Why? Because the 27 year old Swiss rider now has a new job for next year. Zaugg, who finished fifteenth in last year's Vuelta, will ride for Team Liguigas for the next two seasons. He may find himself on gregario duty for the Vuelta next year, but it's also nice to get paid. With Holczer's announcement this week that Gerolsteiner would not continue beyond the end of the season, can there be any doubt that Zaugg is happy to have a contract in hand? No, we didn't think so.

Azurri intrigue! Franco Ballerini told Gazzetta this week that Bettini is the "only certainty" on the team for Worlds. Ballerini called il Grillo the best suited for the finale. But he also said that he could count on Bettini to give his team mates a free hand, if he did not have good legs on the day. Indeed, he is the "only one" who would do this, said Ballerini. Bettini also has a chance to make history: if he wins in Varese, it would be a history-making third straight Worlds title. What about Danilo Diluca? Too heavy, says Ballerini. Gabriele Bosisio will likely be given the support role that Bertolini has typically held. Sadly, for the hopes of hottitude tifosi the world over, it is unlikely that Daniele Bennati will ride. "This is not a worlds for sprinters," said Ballerini. Cavendish, McEwen, and Steegmans have little chance, and even Boonen and Hushovd will likely find it hard going. Ballerini is all praise for Benna, an "athlete of great possibility," but not this year. The Azurri have approximately 30 days to sort themselves out.

Speaking of Benna... Like we need an excuse. Benna is now in Spain for the Vuelta, for those who have lost track of him. He says that his form is on the rise after injury derailed much of his summer season. "I beat Boonen, which is a good sign," he said, in reference to his recent stage victory at the Eneco Tour. About the Vuelta he said, "I have studied the course, and on the map, I see 7-8 finishes that suit the sprinters: it will be difficult, but my objective is to equal the three victories of last year." We have no objection to this plan. The more Benna on the podium, the better.

Fabio Baldato of Lampre has called it a career. Baldato, currently 40 years old, had intended to retire at the end of the season. A crash at the Eneco Tour has accelerated his plans, as he can not imagine recovering from his injuries in time to contest any further races this season. He suffered a broken collarbone and rib in his fall. Baldato, professional since 1991, has 42 race wins, including three stages of the Giro d'Italia and two stages each of the Tour and Vuelta. In 1994, he finished second in Paris-Roubaix to Andrei Tchmil. He had hoped to ride Paris-Tours as his last race, and in his press statement, he thanked Lampre for having "demonstrated a grand faith in me." Bon voyage to Baldato from the Gossip!

Andreas Klöden, he of the umlaut. Klöden said on his website this week that he will not ride for the German national team any more. He also castigated the German media for destroying cycling. Klödie was especially bitter to be overlooked for the Olympic team, when he did not ride the Tour and could have prepared carefully for Beijing. He called for a reform of the selection process. Translation: Pick me, not someone else. Klödie currently lives in Switzerland. Perhaps they will invite him to play in their sandbox. Somehow Klödie and Cancellara do not seem like a match made in heaven. But stranger things have happened.

And that, my friends, is all for this edition of the Gossip. Back soon with everything you need to know, and plenty you don't.

Correction: Brett Lancaster will not ride for Team Columbia next year, as erroneously reported here. He will ride for Milram for two years. Mark Renshaw, formerly of Crédit Agricole will play lead-out for Cavendish. Apologies for the error. Too much sun. Or something.