Lampre in Limbo
by Jen See on Jan 5, 2010 7:09 PM EST
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According to Tuttobiciweb, the UCI has not yet gotten around to deciding the future of Lampre-Vini Farnese. You may recall that during the first round of Pro Tour licensing shenanigans, the UCI deferred the case of Lampre-Vini Farnese to the License Commission. The suits in Lausanne neglected to explain the reason for this decision, and it remains something of a mystery. Certainly, team manager Giuseppe Saronni had no idea why the team did not receive its Pro Tour license, a license the team has held for several seasons now.
Well, the mystery continues, for Lampre still has no license to race and it remains only two weeks until the Tour Down Under. Enrico Carpani, who holds the unenviable position as spokesperson for the UCI, told Gazzetta dello Sport that he didn't know anything about the situation. "I know nothing." Remarkably informative. Thank you, Signor Carpani. It also remains unclear whether the License Commission has met. I picture a long table with some sort of arcane seal on the wall above it. Also, there are Bond villainous-looking individuals at the table. No doubt it's all far more prosaic than that. But a girl can dream anyway. With the clock ticking down on the off-season, villainous or no, the License Commission had best get to work.
In other license-related news, Rock Racing is still waiting for a decision on their Pro Continental license for the season. Similarly to last year, the team did not submit all the necessary paperwork (and perhaps also the necessary bank draft) to receive its license on the first pass. 
In the case of Rock Racing, the stakes are high.
Joe Lindsey reports in today's Boulder Report that Gilberto Simoni has an agreement to sign with the team. Wait. Let's just stop here for a moment. Simoni to Rock Racing. Seriously? That transfer would likely open the door for Rock Racing to ride the Giro d'Italia. Francisco Mancebo, Oscar Sevilla, and Gilberto Simoni at the Giro.
Oh my.
The Simoni to Rock Racing transfer is the latest in a string of stories connecting Simoni to various teams, including one story involving a reunion with Simoni's former nemesis Damiano Cunego. Apparently, the two-time Giro d'Italia winner is playing hard to get. He had best scrutinize the financials before signing on with Rock. Rumor has also connected Floyd Landis with Rock Racing, but no confirmation of that story has yet surfaced.
Photos copyright Susie Hartigan. All rights reserved.
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I wonder if there are knives on the wall
at UCI HQ? Very Villainous indeed.
"…I saw bloody Cavendish coming, really fast…"
HH
This Lampre thing
is just one massive WTF?
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris Fontecchio on Jan 5, 2010 8:04 PM EST reply actions
Word On The Street...
…is that there have been “issues” with some biological passport information on several Lampre riders.
The UCI is also still scratching its head over the team’s 2008 season, when it should have been placed on “inactive” status and not permitted to race for one month. Instead, a Lampre rider won the world road title the month when the suspension should have taken effect.
Oops.
by Chief Commissaire on Jan 6, 2010 12:55 AM EST up reply actions
Oops
seems to be a trademark UCI move these days.
by Douglas Ansel on Jan 6, 2010 8:15 AM EST up reply actions
Floyd's signing is dependant on if they get the Pro Conti status...otherwise no.
The announcement for the teams with the Pro Conti status up in the air was pushed to later this week instead of being announced earlier today.
Mróz ActiveJet
Earlier today, the Polish team (formerly known as Mróz Action Unica) announced plans to race as a Division III squad in 2010 after having failed to obtain Pro Continental status. I wonder if the UCI formally notified Mróz ActiveJet or if the team simply read the writing on the wall (undoubtedly placed underneath the aforementioned arcane seal)?
THey probably did not meet some requirement and therefore it was inevitable.
I never heard of them though. I knew that Poland has another Pro Conti team this year and I would have been surprised if they got 2.
by Vlaanderen90 on Jan 5, 2010 11:46 PM EST up reply actions
If you read the Lindsey piece
the team isn’t willing to confirm the Landis signing, license or no. They confirmed Simoni, but not Landis. So there may not be anything to it.
Well, according to the Lampre website they're in good shape.
The video of medical fitness of our athletes
You can closely observe the athletes while also submit to visit and discover how the body is controlled and approved by a professional at the start of the season.
I have to fuck to put the padding and it still remains to be seen whether I think cents for Allan Davis--Google Translate, not quite rendering a Patrick Lefevre quote into English
Rock Racings' magic trick
Talk about pulling a rabbit out of the hat !?
If…If they pull it off.
If the UCI gives them a license, if they sign Simoni and Landis, if they get an invite to the big races….it would be a mega-stunt.
All this while the Emperor has no clothes….still.
And RR’s management continues to have no clue….
How is this possible?
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the Flag and carrying the Cross."
--Sinclair Lewis
So we could have a Rock Racing Giro squad composed of
Simoni, Mancebo, Sevilla, Landis and Buffalo Gutierrez. With VH Pena, Moderately Fast Freddie, Vitoria, etc. in support.
I admit it, I would like to see this catastrophe in action.
Is it too late for Cunego to jump over to SKY?
He needs to ditch Lampre and go to a stronger team. Cunego is not the type that can just ride others off his wheel to be successful, he needs stronger team support, and SKY would be the perfect place for him. Plus they don’t have anyone for the Ardennes. Wiggins is strictly a grand tour rider now, Lovkvist fancies himself a grand tour rider as well, and Boassan Hagen looks like a rider more suited to races like Flanders and Paris Roubaix. Cunego would fit in perfectly there…
plus they've got a few italians already
and italy is one of the markets they are targetting (Sky Italia) are one of the sponsors – hence all the talk of Nibali going there
Most PT teams would be be a good destination for Cunego
If you think about it, all the Ardennes talent is hoarded now on Saxo, Katusha, and, to a lesser extent, BMC, Rabobank, and CDE.
Columbia, Garmin, Quick Step, Cervelo, Radio Shack, Milram, and all the French teams could use him. The first four would all make sense.
But Sky might be the best fit because it has Simon Gerrans, who was consistently good in the Ardennes last year.
by Mr 60 Percent on Jan 6, 2010 9:55 AM EST up reply actions
Astana has a strong Italian connection now.
Would have to consider them too.
Cyclovia: Bogota www.streetfilms.org/archives/ciclovia/
Gerrans would complement Cunego very nicely
I think Gerrans is one of the most underrated riders today. He’s got a very strong sprint both on the flat and at the top of these short, steep hills. Plus he won that mountain stage to Prato at the 2008 Tour de France. He might pull off a Sergei Ivanov and surprise everyone with a classic win in the Ardennes this year.
Agreed on Gerrans
The article in VN today says he was 6th, 7th, and 8th in the Ardennes last year. Something to ponder when looking for this year’s breakthrough on your VDS team.
The only downside I see with Gerrans is that I don’t think he brings much to the table as a support rider for Wiggins in the Tour. Pure stage-hunter.
by Mr 60 Percent on Jan 6, 2010 11:20 AM EST up reply actions
Wiggins is a One Hit Tour Wonder like the great Christophe Moreau.
Anyway Wiggins chronically changes teams which I think does not bode well for high GC placement.
Wigglypuff Cav Crunch, Breakfast of Madison Champions!
I agree with you that Gerrans doesn't offer much support. He chooses his stage and goes for it but
other than chasing for bottles he really doesn’t do much.
Bite your tongue!
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Well if you can prove me wrong then I will... =]
He is indespensible in the classics but in the GT’s…meh.
by Vlaanderen90 on Jan 7, 2010 12:06 AM EST up reply actions
Listen, I know my limits... going up against you
would be like Kenny van Hummel taking on Bert on a mountain stage. That said, I still want you to bite your tongue ;)
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Just because he picks a stage and does little else
doesn’t mean he doesn’t do it well. Two GT stage wins this year is a pretty good track record.
by Douglas Ansel on Jan 7, 2010 7:45 AM EST up reply actions
strikes me he'd be better off on a team like Columbia or QST for the GTs where he could stage hunt
On a team with GC ambitions he’s less useful methinks – though a stage victory could be a nice consolation if the main GC threat fails to fly
I don't think we've seen the best of him yet... but I'm biased
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
bastard UCI
why do they hate pink so much?
"well...you live in england so: you love the rain. loves the queen. hates cycling. based on mr bean had a tremendous amount of humour. all ride in a mini cooper. all getting drunk before the age of 12. getting drunk at least 3 times a day."- frinking, 7/9/09
Am I really that transparent?
The words almost have the same number of letters, too. So irresistable.
Lampre Likely in Limbo!
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris Fontecchio on Jan 7, 2010 5:34 PM EST up reply actions
Simoni to ride last Giro d'Italia with Lampre
The UCI has made the decision to register the team in the ProTour division and the announcement is expected today.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/simoni-to-ride-last-giro-ditalia-with-lampre
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