It seems international politics can even trickle down to stymie bicycle racers.

Yaroslav Popovych, the promising grand tour rider in his first season with Discovery Channel, has been having problems getting the proper visa following the recent political upheaval in his native Ukraine that made headlines worldwide.

After some early season racing, Popovych had returned to the Ukraine to settle some paperwork issues, an ordeal that won’t keep him from starting this summer’s Tour de France.

“It’s been difficult for him to obtain the necessary visa due to the change in governments but I talked with him today and he finally got it,” Discovery Channel director Johan Bruyneel told Dan Osipow.

“He's been training well and as of right now, is due to start the Tour of Catalunya (May 16-22), the Dauphine Libéré (June 5-12), the new team time trial event (June 19) in Holland and then the Tour,” Bruyneel continued.

Third overall in the 2003 Giro d’Italia, Popoyvch is being groomed as a possible successor to Lance Armstrong, set to retire at the conclusion of the Tour.

Bruyneel said Popovych has been able to maintain his overall fitness during the red-tape hassle, but needs to increase his work in the mountains because where he lives in the Ukraine “there's not a single hill anywhere.”

“Catalunya won't be a race where I expect to see him on the front, but if we do it right, he can start the Tour in top shape,” Bruyneel said. “He feels good, and at this moment, we don't want to take any risks with him at this stage, so I don't want to put him in a race if he's not fully ready for it. I would rather have him train.”

Petacchi satisfied with Romandie
Alessandro Petacchi has gone two-for-two in the opening stages of the Tour de Romandie, a good indicator he’s on form coming into the 2005 Giro d’Italia.

The Fassa Bortolo train was firing at all cylinders to set up their man, who donned the leader’s jersey after sprinting to victory in Thursday’s second stage. The course pushes into the mountains Friday, so Petacchi isn’t expected to be in yellow at the end of the day.

“I knew there were only two stages of this race that would finish in sprints and so it's great to win them both and give my confidence a boost for the Giro d'Italia,” he said.

Petacchi won a record nine stages in last year’s Giro, but even he’s admitting that’s going to be hard to equal. The Giro starts May 7 in Reggio Calabria and ends May 29 in Milan, but the mountainous course leaves barely a half-dozen stages well-suited for the sprinters.

“It will be impossible to beat my record of nine wins because there are only five or six stages that will finish in sprints, but I want to win at least two if not more,” he said.

Bettini gearing up for Giro
Paolo Bettini is gearing up for the Giro d’Italia this week by training on the course for the seventh stage between Grosseto and Pistoia set for May 14.

The hilly course is well-suited for the Olympic champion, who begin his training ride at the bottom of the San Baronto climb. He will ride the final 50 kilometers of the stage leading to Pistoia stopping en-route to view the Sammommè climb as well during the recon mission totally nearly 200km. “This stage is suited to me considering the distance from the finish line of the (final climb). I predict a finish of a small restricted group of riders,” Bettini said. “I don’t want to chance anything. I’ve been told that the Sammommè climb is tough with at least three kilometres that are very tasking. I think it’s a good idea to understand how I’ll have to ride it.” Bettini will also be taking a look at the Vitolini climb that’s part of the time trial course from Lamporecchio to Florence in stage eight. “I already know this climb, but I want to take another look at the very technical descent,” Bettini said.

Thévenet believes in LA
Bernard Thévenet, the French rider who won the Tour de France twice during the waning years of Eddy Merckx’s reign, said he believes Lance Armstrong will be strong enough to win a seventh title.

Thévenet told the AFP that while Armstrong appears to be behind in his preparation for the 2005 Tour, he said the Texan will still be the favorite for what will the Texan’s final race of his career.

“Even though modern day riders compete a lot less than we used to, I think that Armstrong has put himself under enormous pressure, but there comes a time when you can't keep it up,” he said. “He'll still be in great physical condition, but what is completely symptomatic and characteristic of top level athletes is that your motivation disappears before it goes in the legs.”

Thévenet won the Tour in 1975 and again in 1977, victories that helped push Merckx toward retirement. His last Tour came in 1981, when the rising presence of Bernard Hinault marked the end of the Thévenet era.

“I decided to retire when I knew the legs were starting to go. Another sign was that I wasn't quite prepared to take the risks like I was used to, in the sprints for example, or on the descents of some of the climbs when the roads were slippery,” he said. “For things to work out, your mental attitude can easily make up for a slight lack of race fitness. But when you haven't got the morale then you're only going to get 60 or 70 percent out of yourself even if you are on top form.”

Torrent wins in Spain
Carlos Torrent (Catalunya-Angel Mir) won Thursday’s second stage of the Vuelta a Castilla y León, finishing 1:13 ahead of the main bunch on a rolling course into Zamora. Luis Pasamontes (Relax-Fuenlabrada) moved into the leader’s jersey just ahead of local favorite Javier Pascual Rodriguez (Comunidad Valenciana) going into Friday’s 45km team time trial around the wine-growing region in Toro.

Liberty for upcoming races
Liberty Seguros-Würth will bring a young team to the upcoming Clásica de Alcobendas (May 7-8) and the ProTour stage-race, Volta a Catalunya, set for May 16-22.

Liberty Seguros for upcoming races in Spain
Carlos Barredo
Koen de Kort
Jesus Hernández
Aaron Kemps
Daniel Navarro
Sergio Paulinho
Luis León Sanchez
Iván Santos

Illes Balears for Giro
Illes Balears will bring a solid team to the start for next week’s Giro d’Italia, led by Unai Osa – third in 2001 – and Vladimir Karpets, the best young rider in last year’s Tour de France.

Sprinters Isaac Gálvez and Vicente Reynés will do their best against Fassa Bortolo while stage-hunters Toni Tauler and Joan Horrach will look to slip away in breakaways.

Illes Balears for Giro d’Italia
Una Osa
Vladimir Karpets
Isaac Gálvez
Vicente Reynés
Toni Tauler
Joan Horrach
David Navas
José Luis Carrasco
Sergi Escobar