The end of year wind-down is on, Lance gets his ticket to Aus and now the Vampires are set to re-examine the Olympic samples. Once again it’s been a busy week and we have all of the latest including bike shows in the the Rockies and your chance to own your own professional cycling team.
Lance OK For Down Under
A decision from the UCI has given the green light for Lance Armstrong to start his 2009 racing season with the Tour Down Under in January.
The decision was made based upon the spirit of ‘Article 77’ rather than the strict application of the requirement that un-retiring athletes are available for testing 6 months before their scheduled start date, which would mean Armstrong would be ineligible to race until Feb ’09.
The release states:
“In respect of this situation, the UCI has taken into account the progress made in its anti-doping programme since 2004. As a result of the improvements implemented (dramatic increase in the number of tests, particularly out-of-competition, and the introduction of the biological passport), riders are now subject to a much-reinforced system of monitoring compared to that of the past.
Consequently, the aim of Article 77 at the time of its introduction in 2004 (to ensure that a rider returning to competition is subject to the same degree of testing as active riders) can be better achieved through careful application of the current methods of the anti-doping programme than by the strict application of a time period. The UCI can confirm that Lance Armstrong has and will be the subject of very strict monitoring throughout the period running up to his return to the peloton.”
As you can imagine, Lance himself is happy that his 2009 start date can proceed as planned, saying, “I look forward to my return to racing at the Tour Down Under and more importantly I am excited to get to Adelaide to begin our Global Cancer campaign.”
Racing Racing Racing
The road season is winding to a close and with just a few more big races in Italy and one or two Belgium and France, it won’t be long until we turn our attention to cyclo-cross, six-days and the regular off season rumour mill.
In Italia, the 56th Coppa Sabatini (being run today) will be followed by the Giro dell'Emilia on Saturday and the G.P. Beghelli on Sunday. These three races make up the Trittico d'Autunno series, but while two of the three rate highly on the UCI calendar, it is Sunday’s Paris-Tours in (you guessed it...) France where the big focus will be for most teams.
While Jered brought you the off-on-off saga of Alessandro Petacchi’s participation in Monday’s ET (Ale-Jet and his and the other Continental Teams were vetoed by the ProTour boys on account of they are not part of the Biological Passport program), there will still be plenty of sprinters looking for a season ending victory to boost the motivation for training in the cold winter months ahead.
Quick Step will be on the start line in full force with Tom Boonen (and his injured wrist) supported by Allan Davis and Stijn Devolder. Devolder picked up a win in a kermesse race in Belgium yesterday and has indicated that he's looking to be on form for Sunday.
Next week will be the official close to the racing season and associated “festivities” in Belgium with the Nationale Sluitingprijs Putte - Kapellen on Tuesday and then it’s the Giro del Piemonte on Thursday ahead of Italy’s grand finale (although not the official last race) on Saturday, the Giro di Lombardia.
While “The Race of the Falling Leaves” around Lake Como is the last big race of the year and Italy’s final road race of the season, the last actual pro event is held the following Saturday in Tuscany.
The 31km Firenze-Pistoia ITT individual TT will again close the Italian season and is a race with quite a history. First run as a one-off race way back in 1870, the event was won by Rynner Van Heste of the good ol’ U.S. of A. (and you thought 7-Eleven were the European trail blazers...). The time trial was resurrected in 1985 as part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the FCI (Italian Cycling Federation) and has been held semi-regularly since.
Some of the more familiar names from the podium include all-around nice guy and PEZ regular Dario Cioni (3rd in 2003 and 2nd to Russian Boris Shpilevskiy last year), Francesco Casagrande (Winner in 1994 and ’95), Tony Rominger (Winner in ’88, ’89, ’91 and ’92) and Maurizio Fondriest (who beat Chris Boardman to the title in 1993).
No official word as yet on exactly which 25 riders will roll down the start ramp, but as soon as we know, you’ll know.
Contract News
Mario Aerts will be staying on with Silence-Lotto for another two seasons after the team announced they had extended the 33 year-old’s contract until the end of 2010. Also Joining Aerts will be Jelle Vanendert. The 22 year old is moving from Française des Jeux where he sat out two months of the season with a broken hip after a fall at the Dauphiné Libéré in June.
Not a ‘new’ piece of news, but expect to see Ivan Basso dressed in green for the first time next week, as Team Liquigas have scheduled a meet and greet for the press with their newest signing.
More riders from the now defunct Gerolsteiner team are signing elsewhere, with Peter Wrolich the latest to sign up with former German rivals Milram. Already signed to Milram are Wrolich’s former team mates Fabian Wegman, Mathias Russ, Johannes Frohlinger and the Fothen brothers.
In late breaking news, Team Garmin-Chipotle Presented by H3O will be joining the ProTour ranks in 2009.
Drug Dopes Look Out
As well as the blood tests being carried out by the AFLD on samples collected at this year's Tour de France - that have busted Schumacher, confirmed what Mauro Gianetti suspected about Leonardo Piepoli and filled in the gaps on Riccò - the International Olympic Committee is now going to analyse all of the blood samples collected at the recent Beijing games.
Thanks to the development of the new test, the IOC will send their collected samples to the World Anti-Doping Agency accredited laboratory in Lausanne, Switzerland.
"This clearly demonstrates the determination that there is zero tolerance (on doping), and that we will use all the means available to catch the cheaters," IOC vice president Thomas Bach told AP.
The IOC conducted more than 5,000 drug tests during the Beijing Games, including nearly 1,000 blood screenings.
IOC medical director Patrick Schamasch said that they will test the blood samples for CERA, but tests will also be carried out to detect other drugs which he declined to identify.
"We have indication of other substances," he said.
Oh well, at least July’s most dominant TT performer, Mr. S Schumacher, didn’t collect an Olympic medal. He said at the time it was due to “the heat” (which may have been a reference to the testing advances rather than the temperature in China). Having another cyclist go positive might be a good thing for the clean riders and fans who want the sport cleaned up, but it would be another knock to our sport’s already tarnished reputation that we could do without.
But wait, there’s more…
Or rather, “I imagine there could be one or two more cases,” so said Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme when commenting on the progress of the re-testing of the Tour samples to date.
Gotcha Again Riccò
Cast your mind back to July when Riccardo Riccò was sprung for CERA (the 3rd generation EPO) at the Tour de France and his comments about the effectiveness of the urine testing. Can’t recall? Well it wasn’t the usual “they got it wrong, I am innocent!” but rather something along the lines of “the testing isn’t very good because you only got me twice, but I was taking the stuff every day.”
Well, now that the first batch of blood “re-tests” is in from the Tour, we can put Riccardo’s mind at ease and pass on the news that he has tested positive again thanks to the more accurate blood test.
Riccò‘s new positives come from the pre-tour blood screen and from the rest day, but due to the fact that all four positive tests were at the same event, there will be no extra added on to the two year suspension dished out by the FCI last week.
Meanwhile, Stefan Schumacher is set to make a written statement either today or tomorrow, according to information given to German press agency dpa by the rider’s lawyer, Michael Lehner. No other details concerning the possible content of the statement were given.
Rocky Mountain Bicycle Show
If you live in Colorado and have always wondered what it was like to stare and drool as you wander the aisles at a bike show, then clear your calendar for the first weekend in November.
HUDZ Enhancement Brake Hoods and Wheels Manufacturing, Inc. are joining together to produce the first annual Rocky Mountain Bicycle Show on November 1st and 2nd, in the Glenn Miller Ballroom on the University of Colorado campus.
As well as showcasing many of the best frame builders in the country the show will allow consumers the first chance to get their hands on the latest and greatest new components and accessories shown at Interbike.
"This show is all about community. It brings builders from the area together to get to know each other better. It allows cyclists the chance to really get to know the different builders and to choose someone to build them the perfect bike," said Miles Ahead founder Carol Johnson.
"Rather than charge a premium to get into the show we wanted to make it as affordable as possible – so the door is only $5. And of that, half of the proceeds go to the University of Colorado Cycling Team." said Hudz CEO Lance Johnson. "We did that because we wanted to make the focus about giving back to the cycling community."
The show will feature both local and national builders and manufacturers, including Wheels Manufacturing, Anvil, Black Sheep, DaVinci Designs, Dean, Ground-up Designs, Lenzsport, Longbikes, Moots, Nobilette, Paketa, Temple, Tiemeyer, Yipsan, Zinn, and many more. The inclusion of exhibitors like True Temper/Alpha Q, D2 Shoes, Edge Composites and King Cage gives the public a first chance to see the newest toys that were shown to the industry at Interbike.
Wiggins Talks
With the huge success of British track cycling at the previous two world championships and the recent Olympics, as well as the strong showing on the road by young riders like Mark Cavendish, it is no surprise that there has been talk of an “all British team” for a future Tour de France.
The UK’s Bradley Wiggins says he looks forward to the prospect and hopes that it could be a reality by 2011. The 28 year-old double Beijing gold medallist also said that if it does happen, the riders would have a tough time slipping past the drug testers.
“I can't speak for other nations but here there is no way you can do it here now,” he told Eurosport. “UK Sport know where I am at all times so they could turn up and test me at any time. It is not like I could disappear to Land's End for a week on growth hormones.”
Unlike another high profile UK time trialler, Wiggins is not one to go on and on about drug taking, preferring to concentrate his comments on what he does, rather than what others choose to do.
“I just get on with my own life. If people ask me I just say why I don't do it and that's all I can do,” he explained.
“If I had been young and easily-influenced, and had different people around me, I might have fallen into that so I don't look down on anyone for doing it. I just give the reasons why I don't do it.”
But Not To Cavendish
A report in UK newspaper The Guardian, has quoted Bradley Wiggins as saying that he has not spoken to madison partner Mark Cavendish since they walked off the track at the Beijing Games after finishing a disappointing eighth.
“Cav is like my little brother and I love him dearly. But we left the stadium without saying a word to each other and we've yet to speak,” said Wiggins.
“I was knackered but he was a bit cocky. Who wouldn't be when you're 22, you've just won four Tour stages and you're riding with a double Olympic champion? He thought we'd piss all over it but the reality was different,” explained Wiggins about how the relationship became strained during the race.
“It was a disappointing end to a fantastic Games and I like to think he doesn't hate me now. I'll pick up the phone soon and, in this modern age, I'll probably send him a text and see how it goes from there.”
UK Crit Series is GO!
The Tour of Britain organisers formally announced today the launch of The Tour Series, a ten round town and city-centre criterium series for 2009.
Taking place throughout late May and June, rounds of The Tour Series will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings as a culmination of a festival of cycling-based activities and races that will create a carnival atmosphere at each of the chosen venues.
The racing will build upon successful existing relationships established through the organisation of The Tour of Britain, and also develop new partnerships with many of Cycling England’s Cycling Towns and Cities across the country.
“I’m very happy to see a return to professionally structured, dynamic town and city centre racing, bringing a vibrant and lively atmosphere to towns and cities across the UK next summer”, said Technical Director Mick Bennett, about the series that is to be televised nationally.
“In the 1980’s, city centre racing was responsible for an upsurge in the British road cycling scene, and I’m confident that The Tour Series can have a similar effect, and will hopefully help to identify and launch the next generations of British riders.”
Own Your Own Team
So, anyone out there ever dreamed of winning the lottery, starting your own team and then including yourself on the roster for the Tour de France? (No? Just me then...)
Anyway, there is another, slightly cheaper way that you can get into team ownership, but I can’t guarantee that handing over the cash will necessarily get you a start, especially seeing as how the team already has a full squad of riders.
The UK based women’s team, formerly known as Team Swift, has launched a program called Own Our Team where they are encouraging fans, supporters and investors to visit their webpage and make a donation to help the team keep afloat for 2009.
There are various levels of supporters’ packages available, right up to the top level package that would buy the naming rights to the established squad.
In order for Swift Racing to continue next year, we need to raise funds now and we’re turning to our fans and supporters who have backed, cheered and urged the team on throughout all our races so far, to help us do this.
Just as facebook, YouTube and MySpace are all about user-generated content, we’ve decided to create a user-generated cycling team. We’re offering supporters the opportunity to donate money to purchase a part of our squad for 12 months, giving them a share of what will soon become ‘Team You’.
Until we find our next title sponsor, we will be called Team You, reflecting your input to your new team, says the Team website.
Pantani Accusations Surface
Never far from the headlines when there is an anti-doping headline too be had, Ivano Fanini, head of the Amore e Vita cycling team, has taken aim at one of his country’s cycling icons, Marco Pantani.
Fanini has alleged in an interview with Italian newspaper La Stampa that at the 1998 Giro, Pantani was “using doping products every day” and was called to give a sample for the testers.
"He looked for somewhere where could find a negative sample [to swap with his] and found that his team mate Riccardo Forconi was [allegedly allegedly allegedly] the only member of the Mercantone Uno team who was clean that day,” said Fanini, “Forconi was caught [and kicked off the ’98 Giro for having a too high hematocrit] and not a long time later had a new villa in Tuscany. Forconi told me everything.”
While the allegations of a villa in exchange for a clean blood/urine sample may seem scandalous, 10 years on most Italians are likely to shrug their shoulders and move on. It will be interesting to see if Forconi will confirm the story when asked directly by the press.
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