By Simon Baskett
MADRID, Sept 20 - Madrid will become the centre of
attention for cycling when it hosts this week's world
championships, although the build-up has been overshadowed by a
bitter struggle within the sport's governing body.
All bar one of the members of the 17-strong International
Cycling Union (UCI) management committee left Madrid on Monday
and will boycott Tuesday's opening ceremony in protest at what
they call "the hostile attitude" of the Spanish Cycling
Federation (RFEC).
In the latest round of the struggle for power in world
cycling, the RFEC has begun legal action which has effectively
prevented UCI president Hein Verbruggen from presiding over the
annual congress which was is due to take place in Madrid on
Friday to elect his successor.
The RFEC argues that Verbruggen should not continue as
president because of what it calls "manipulation of the
electoral process" to choose his successor, justifying its
decision to resort to legal action by a desire to "ensure the
elections are impartial."
The political in-fighting has diverted attention from the
action on the streets of Madrid which will see some of the
world's best specialists against the clock compete in Thursday's
44-km time trial and the one-day experts fight it out in the
273-km road race on Sunday.
Italy's Alessandro Petacchi is the hot favourite for the
road race after winning five sprint-finish victories in the
recent Tour of Spain, including Sunday's final stage which took
in part of the route for the world championship.
But Petacchi does not like the finish which includes a
hazardous hairpin bend around 600 metres from the line and
believes the race will be more open than most people expect.
"The design of the final kilometre is really ugly, really
hard. Nobody should think this is an easy circuit by any means,"
he said on Sunday.
HOME SOIL
Petacchi and team mate Paolo Bettini will face stiff
opposition from the Spaniards who have an excellent record in
the worlds but have never won on home soil.
Three-times world championship Oscar Freire is out through
injury so the home team are pinning their hopes on silver
medallist in Verona Alejandro Valverde, former winner Igor
Astarloa and the unpredictable Miguel Angel Martin Perdiguero.
Valverde has not raced since injuring his knee in the Tour
de France but there is no doubt he has the talent if his legs
are up to it.
Australia's Robbie McEwen, who took three stages on the
Tour, and Belgium's Tom Boonen, winner of two Tour stages and
the Paris-Roubaix, will also be challenging for the rainbow
jersey.
The time trial around the city's Casa de Campo park should
be even more tightly contested.
Australian Michael Rogers is going for a third successive
crown, but he will face tough opposition from fellow countryman
Bradley McGee, America's Bobby Julich, the consistent Michael
Rich of Germany, Alexander Vinokourov of Kazakhstan and Russia's
Denis Menchov.
Spain's Ruben Plaza, winner of the high-speed final time
trial in the Vuelta, and Britain's Bradley Wiggins could also be
in with a shout for the medals.
In the women's events world champion Judith Arndt of Germany
is doubtful because of a viral infection, which could leave the
way open for Sweden's Susanne Ljungskog to add a third road race
rainbow jersey to her collection.
Three-times Tour de France winner and home favourite Joanne
Somarriba would also dearly love to end her career on a high
with a second world title in the time trial.