Pip Sports Network

[Hadash]

Pip Sports Network

Hassan Parsi and Elma Lundquist win their second Hylis Open
By Linda Westland
Published: Fein 1584


Hassan Parsi


Rasswitt, Hylis Federation - Hassan Parsi won his second Hylis Open, after defeating Keszarian Részö Reményi in three sets (6-4, 7-5, 6-3).

It is the third Grand Slam win for the A'Sirian champion as, besides the 1580 Hylis Open, he also won the Florinthian Open in 1581. Harsi, 29, recovered his best play after a disappointing 1583 season, when he wasn't able to pass besides the first rounds of the four Grand Slam.

Részö Reményi had defeated the biggest hope for the local fans to the title, Vannevar Cregger -who had won the title in 1581-, but he was unable to break the pace of Harsi, who once agains showed an unbreakable service as his stronghest point.

The Hylis fan, however, were able to enjoy the second Hylis Open win for Elma Lundquist, who defeated Kyrzbekistani Leniza Ildukuz in three seats (7-5, 5-7 and 6-3). After this victory, Lundquist returns to the top 10 of the Women's Tennis Ranking, although still far from the top 3 women's players. Jandrea Katherine Snowdon continues to head the ranking one week more.

[Hadash]

Pip Sports Network

Kelly McCullain wins 1584 Tour de Valland
By Richard W. Wallace
Published: Zechyr 25, 1584


Only nine seconds stopped Michelakakis to win his fourth Tour de Valland.


Lauren, Valland - Richard Malone (Dido-Dreher) won the last stage of the 1584 Tour de Valland. Another season more, the Florinthian sprinter found no rival at the flat stages, winning five stages and the Point classification for 5th time -fourth in a row- a new record for Malone, who won yesterday his 51th stage in a Grand Tour.

It was a calm day for the leader of the general classification, despite his short advantage. Kelly Rónán McCullain (United Strathae) won the 1584 Tour de Valland with the shortest difference ever - only nine seconds ahead the runner-up. McCullain became the second Strathaen to win a Grand Tour, after his teammate Kieran McLucais, who won the Tour de Valland in 1579. McLucais, who may announce his retirement late this year, served as a domestique for McCullain in the last mountain stages.

The 33-year old Strathaen climber also won the Mountain classification -for second time, as he had won it in 1580 as well- and the last high mountain stage, when he achieved a decisive gap over his main rivals, winning the stage -his fourth individual stage in the Tour de Valland since 1575. Although McCullain had barely a minute over Michelakakis, he was able to keep his lead in the long and last individual time trial, even by merely nine seconds.

Michelakakis hoped to become the second rider to win four times the Tour de Valland, and he was confident enough to do so one day before the stage 19th, but the Strathaen climber showed an unexpected physical and moral resistance during the last kms of the ITT. It is not clear it the Mestran climber will have a chance like this again, as Michelakakis will celebrate his 36th birthday in a few weeks.

The third place in the general classification was for Mykola Tarasenko (AHN-KozMetal), who became the first Kubanizan to reach the podium in a Grand Tour after a great performance in the last individual time trial stage.

Vallish fans ended the Tour with a mixture of hope and disappointment after Hippolyte La Chapelle (Télecon Team) ended fourth in the general classification, merely fourteen seconds behind Tarasenko. La Chapelle had won the first mountain stage, and headed the general classification for seven days, but he wasn't unable to resist the last mountain stage, arriving to the finish line five minutes after McCullain. The 24-year Vallish all-rounder won the Youth classification as a consolation prize, and there is the hope that this will be only the beginning of a long and successful career.

[Hadash]

Pip Sports Network

Ellen Tosher and Steven Claydon win Florinthian Open
By Linda Westland
Published: Ochtyr, 1584


Ellen Tosher


Lordsport, Florinthus - Ellen Tosher became the first Adwestene to win the Florinthian Open after defeating Jandrea Lucy Wallace in two sets (6-3 and 6-4).

It was the first Grand Slam final for Tosher, and the third one for Wallace -who had won the Hylis Open in 1580- but Tosher showed an unexpected coldness to win without losing a game in the match. After his victory, the 25-year old Tosher -who was a complete unknown at the beginnig of the season- rises to the third position of the IAT Women's Ranking. Jandrean Katherine Snowdon, despite being unable to advance in the early rounds of the Florinthian Open, will lead the ranking one week more.

On Men's Singles, Jandrean Steven Claydon defeated Hylian Nehemiah Aicken in four sets (6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0), winning his first Grand Slam. After this victory, Claydon becomes number one of the Men's Ranking, displacing Gehennan Hermann Manninger, who had held the highest position of the ranking for more than ten months.

[Hadash]

Pip Sports Network

Stephen Newgreaves wins 1584 Ceribian Tour
By Richard W. Wallace
Published: Nueva 25, 1584


Stephen Newgreaves, winner of the 51th Ceribian Tour.


Etora, Ceribia - Richard Malone (Dido-Dreher) continued his dictatorship in the flat stages, winning his 6th stage this Ceribian Tour. He also won the Points classification for fifth time, becoming in the first rider to win the Points classification of a Grand Tour a ninth time in a row.

It was a calm day for the leader of the General classification, Stephen Newgreaves (New Galeae), who becomes in the first Florinthian cyclist to win a Grand Tour. Although he had won the Ceribian Tour's Youth classification in 1580, his late seasons were rather disappointed. However, he proved to have matured this year in the high mountain stages, and was able to resist the attacks of his main rivals in the last high mountain stages, only losing barely more than twenty seconds to Dominique Ruyssen.

Ruyssen (Télecon Team) was second, fourty-four seconds behind Newgreaves, being runner-up of the Ceribian Tour again. The Vallish all-rounder showed his best version one year more in Ceribia, after a disappointing Tour de Valland, but it was unable to defeat his Florinthian rival.

Third was the 1584 Tour de Valland champion Strathaen Kelly R. McCullain, who kept his options to the last day, but the 33-year climber clearly paid the efforts of the Tour barely two months ago. The best Ceribian was again Tamaz Chkheidze, who won a mountain stage but could only be 10th, winning for second and last time the Youth classification by merely a few seconds over Hippolyte La Chappelle (who was 4th in the last Tour de Valland, but served as a domestique for Ruyssen in Ceribia) and Soren Syndergaard (Scholden-Gulcron).

The Mountain classification was won by Oslanburgan climber Jonathan Geissler (ZMG-Nissen), who won a Grand Tour individual stage for first time in his career as well.

[Hadash]

Pip Sports Network

Peter Ulanov wins 1584 Nylander Open
By Linda Westland
Published: Elva 1584


Photo Caption


New Fenridge, Nyland - Peter Ulanov became the first Severyan tennis player to win the Nylander Open. Ulanov defeated Florinthian Aaron Ashbury in five sets (1-6, 6-2, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2). After his first Grand Slam win, Ulanov reached the number two in the Men's Ranking. Despite his defeat in the early rounds, Gehennan Hermann Manninger has recovered the number one in the ranking, although he would likely need to win the IAT World Cup Finals in Oslanburg to retain the top position in the Tennis Ranking for the rest of the season.

Kyrzbekistani Tansilu Zophakuz won her first Nylander Open, after defeating 1583 champion Gena Alden in three sets (6-1, 2-6, 6-4). Zophakuz becomes also the first Kyrzbekistan tennis player to reach the number one in the Women's Tennis Ranking.

[Nentsia]

Pip Sports Network

Nentsian Cyclist Oleg Korol Dies at Age 28
By Pep Guardiola
Published: 1585


Oleg Korol


Lauren, Valland - Oleg Korol, a Nentsian cyclist from the AHN-KozMetal Cycling Team, has died unexpectedly in a hospital in Lauren, Valland, where he used to train. Korol was 28 years old and leaves behind a wife and son of two years old. The team has released a formal statement, expressing its deep regret at the loss. They have asked for the media to respect their pain and give the team and Korol's family some rest.

Although it has not yet been officially confirmed, an official investigation into the cause of death has been opened. There are signs that Korol's death, a time trial specialist of the Nentsian cycling formation, was caused by acute blood poisoning. An acute blood poisoning may be caused by blood transfusions, a doping practice in cycling. According to medical specialists, there are many things that can go wrong when a healthy person is undergoing blood transfusions, especially without medical supervision. ''An acute blood poisoning is very rare. The most logical explanation is that a blood transfusion was done with blood that either belonged to someone else, or had been poorly stored or had been in storage for too long. Blood can spoil over time, even when stored correctly. Or if the storage was poor or the tools that were used were not clean, bad things can happen. One is basically slowly infusing oneself with pure poison, directly into the bloodstream. Quickly, the body enters in a shock, and death can quickly follow.''

The AHN-KozMetal Team was asked whether Korol's death was related to doping. They neither admitted nor denied it. The sudden death of Korol may spark a new debate about doping in cycling and the potential health risks. Officially, it is always difficult to attribute the death of an athlete to doping because direct evidence is often lacking. The AHN-KozMetal team doctors seem not to be involved, not being present in Valland at the time of the incident. According to the official story, Korol was found in his room by his wife in a state of shock. He died on the way to the hospital, where they performed CPR. It was too late however, and Korol was declared dead. Korol had his best moment when he won the individual time trial stage in the 1583 Ceribian Tour.

[Hadash]

Pip Sports Network

Ameer Al-Sharrawi wins 1585 Sainam Open
By Linda Westland
Published: Alvan 1585


Ameer Al-Sharrawi


Isume, Sainam - Florinthian Ameer Al-Sharrawi won his first Grand Slam, after defeating world number two Nehemiah Aicken in three seats. The last time a Florinthian male tennis player won the Sainam Open was in 1544. The 26-year old Florinthian player, who had never reached a Grand Slam's quarterfinals before, enters in the IAT Men's Ranking Top Ten for first time after his title in Sainam.

Despite losing the final, Nehemiah Aicken displaces Severyan Peter Ulanov in the number one of the Men's Ranking. He will hope to continue his good performance in the Hylis Open.

In Women's Singles, the Sainam Open was won by Nylander Nea Eason, who defeated Severyan Tasha Ubirikova in two sets (6-4 and 7-6). Hylian Elma Lundquist will continue another week leading the IAT Women's Ranking.

[Hadash]

Pip Sports Network

1585 Hylis Open: Parsi and Lundquist continue their reign in Hylis
By Linda Westland
Published: Fein 1585


Elma Lundquist becomes the fifth player to win three times the Hylis Open.


Rasswitt, Hylis Federation - Hassan Parsi and Elma Lundquist won the Hylis Open for a third time.

The A'Sirian champion defeated East Kaljuran Peetr Jänes in four sets (4-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4) to win his third Hylis Open and fourth Grand Slam. It was the second Grand Slam final for Jänes, who was defeated two years ago by Nehemiah Aicken.

Elma Lundquist won her third Hylis Open after defeating Taguchi Yuyika. The Hylian champion will continue leading a week more the IAT Women's Ranking. It was the sixth Grand Slam final for Yuyika, who has recovered her best play in Hylis after a disappointing 1584 season.

[Hadash]

Pip Sports Network

Henri Honnecourt wins 1585 Tour de Valland
By Richard W. Wallace
Published: Zechyr 25, 1585


Henri Honnecourt won his first Grand Tour


Lauren, Valland - Henri Honnecourt (Télecon Team) won the 1585 Tour de Valland, becoming the 18th Vallish rider to win the Tour de Valland.

The last stage was calm but with an expected final sprint, as the Points classification was still undecided. The stage was won by Florinthian Richard Malone (Dido-Dreher), who had won the Points classification the previous four seasons, but Sven-Ole Wieth (Scholden-Gulcron) eight place in the stage was enough to keep the Points classification yersey by merely four points (151 for Wieth, 147 for Malone; one the shortest differences since the maillot was introduced in 1566). Sven-Ole Wieth, who is the current World Champion after winning his fourth World Championship last year, won the Tour de Valland Points classification for first time.

Henri Honnecourt, who also won the Mountain classification, wore the leading red jersey for 11 non-consecutive days. Although he lost it on stage 18, after losing more than three minutes to Elton Isaksson, he was able to recover it the next day after neither Isaksson nor Michelakakis were able to keep the pace of the main group in the final climb. Honnecourt, who had been third in 1577 and fourth in 1582, had two disappointing seasons in the last two years -being unable to end in the top ten in neither the Tour de Valland or the Ceribian Tour- as he was not even the only leader in his own team, as he shared that role with his teammate Dominique Ruyssen, who was runner-up in the Ceribian Tour for the last two seasons. But the 32-year old Vallish climber soon faded any doubts when he won the first mountain stages and finished second the next day, taking the red jersey the next day.

Honnecourt ended the Tour one minute and two seconds over Nylander Elton Isaksson (ZMG-Nissen). Mestran Stavros Michelakakis (MTS Team), who lost again the chance of winning his fourth Tour in the last decisive stage, ended third, one minute and thirty seconds behind Honnecourt.

Honnecourt's victory, was received with great joy and hope by Vallish fans, not only because it was the first Vallish victory in the Tour de Valland in a decade, but because three Vallish riders ended in the top six of the general classification, and four of the mountain stages -along the stages won by time-trialist Olivier Régnier on stage 10 and sprinter Robert Réjane on stage 12- were won by Vallish riders. Benoît Montfleury (NDM Cycling), along winning one of those mountain stages, won also the Young classification, becoming one of the relevations of the Tour.

Montfleury won the Youth classification by only thirty-six seconds over Oslanburgan Jonathan Geissler (ZMG-Nissen), who after winning two stages and ending seventh in the general classification while serving as a domestique for Elton Isaksson, could consider 1585 as the season of his confirmation. The only other rider able to win more than one stage in this Tour was Florinthian sprinter Richard Malone, who won yesterday his 28th stage in the Tour de Valland.

1584 Tour de Valland winner, Kelly R. McCullain (United Strathae), despite winning a mountain stage, had a disappointing Tour, ending 23th in the general classification. His teamate Shamus MacDuibh, however, was able to end in the top ten.

[Nentsia]

Pip Sports Network

Lasse Mogensen Announces Retirement from Cycling
By Beata Schmidt
Published: 1585


Lasse Mogensen in a Time Trial


Nykoping - Lasse Mogensen (38), the Nylander cyclist and Ceribian Tour winner of 1573, has announced to retire from road cycling next season. Having won the Ceribian Tour at age 26, Mogensen peaked early in his career. He was for long considered the greatest talent within the new Nylander cycling formation ZMG-Nissen. In the late 1570's and recent years his role was diminished as rider Elton Isaksson surpassed him in his performances and talent, while Mogensen's career began to suffer from doping allegations.

It was the first major grand tour since so-called Belahroprom Affair in 1573 when the young Lasse Mogensen won the Ceribian Tour. The Belahroprom Affair came after a series of major doping cases in cycling, when the Vallish police raided the hotels of the Belahroprom Cycling Team and took its riders and team staff into police custody under suspicion of drug trafficking, and fraud. The case brought systematic, team-organized doping to light and all of its riders were suspended. The team itself had its license revoked, the sponsor withdrew from the sport, and some staff members were given life bans. Lasse Mogensen that year, represented the new generation, a fresh start with a clean sheet. He was young, even his cycling team was new, and his team was one of the pioneers in implementing a very strict anti-doping code on its own members. ZMG-Nissen wanted to initiate a new era in the sport.

In later years Mogensen began to struggle in his career. He could not handle the pressure in the Tour de Valland, often falling out of the top 10 in the general classifications. Another problem for him was the ascendance of Stavros Michelakakis, the Mestran climber who began to win grand tour after grand tour from the mid 70's onwards. He also faced competition from the Vallish Jean-Pierre Thanisse. In 1578 he was even surpassed in his ''own territory'', the Ceribian Tour, when his teammate Elton Isaksson won the general classification in a convincing manner. In the early 1580's Isaksson continued to win, winning the Tour de Valland twice and another Ceribian Tour. Stavros Michelakakis also continued to win grand tours. Mogensen's role at ZMG-Nissen was decisively reduced to that of a super-domestique for Isaksson. The duo was effective as Isaksson was an all-rounder with a strong time trial, while Mogensen could support Isaksson in the mountain stages and help defend his lead.

Allegations of doping began in the late 1570's when some pundits began to have doubts on Mogensen's extraordinary performance in 1573, at age 26, while being unable to perform in modern times, which are generally believed to be a lot cleaner. In 1582 a major piece of research journalism revealed that the ZMG-Nissen team, despite its claims upon creation in 1572, was not entirely ''free from doping''. Its team manager, Marcus Lauritsen, and chief rider Jesper Ostergaard, were proven to have been in clients in the past of the controversial Nylander doctor Arne Nordskov, who was found guilty in 1570 of facillitating widespread doping. Jesper Ostergaard, by then retired, stated in the article that Lauritsen had introduced Mogensen to Dr. Nordskov before the 1573 Ceribian Tour. They met in Valland, where he and Robbie Bristow trained. Robbie Bristow was caught that Ceribian Tour after a positive doping test. In 1580, Jeremy Cowden tested positive as well. He was the first, and officially only doping case on the ZMG team.

According to a medical scientist who worked with Nordskov, they treated Mogensen with a substance that was relatively new at the time and could not yet be detected, because one has to specifically look for it to find it. The scientist stated this was why Bristow tested positive, while Mogensen remained undetected that year. Mogensen has always denied the allegations in the article that labelled him ''the most sophisticated cheat in the peloton''. In Nyland the evidence presented in the article was enough for the authorities to open an official investigation into the history of Lasse Mogensen, but after two years it concluded there was not enough evidence for prosecution. Mogensen's reputation was badly damaged however.

The young Oslan climber Jonathan Geissler, who nearly won the Young Riders classification in the 1585 Tour de Valland, seems ready to succeed Mogensen as the climber in chief of the team, and possibly, even as Isaksson's successor to win grand tours.