Uh-Oh! the Passports being stamped today have nothing to do with travel. The racing is full on in Switzerland but the big news is the UCI naming the first riders caught out in their blood monitoring anti-doping system. Hold on folks, The Trash has a bit of a stink about it today.
Columbia And SaxoBank’s Suisse Success
If you are taking a test, three out of five is just a pass. If however, the test being taken is the Tour de Suisse - the final big test race before the Tour de France - then three wins from five stages is passing with flying colours.
After Bernard Eisel won stage two for the US team, Cavendish followed up with stage three and then yesterday, Michael Albasini grabbed the third win, taking the Team’s season tally to 38 wins. The trio joined opening TT winner Fabian Cancellara and stage four winner Matti Breschel, both of Team SaxoBank as winners so far in the Swiss race.
Albasini’s victory yesterday came on the toughest stage of the race, which included a first category climb and third category climb immediately preceding an uphill finish. The Swiss rider escaped from a group of favourites in the final kilometre and stayed away for his first victory since a stage of the Tour of the Basque Country in Spain in early April.
“I had to push myself hard to win, but it was worth it to win the hardest stage of the race,” Albasini said afterwards. “I didn’t know the climbs at all, either, because it’s a long way from my home in Switzerland. It wasn’t really a sprint because it came at the end of a long day in the mountains, but somehow I managed to keep going. I’ve been targeting this race since the beginning of May, because this is my home race and so obviously it’s a big goal for me. Winning here in Switzerland is always special for a Swiss rider.”
AG2R’s Slovenian climber, Tadej Valjavec is still leading the race with four stages left to ride.
2009 Tour de Suisse stages Stage 1, June 13: Mauern (LIE) - Rugell (LIE) (ITT), 7.8km: Cancellara is back and if there was any doubts over his prologue form, then have a look at that 19second time gap over just 7.8km. Scary Stuff. Leader’s jersey please, podium girls.
Stage 2, June 14: Davos - Davos, 150km: Eisel Opened Columbia’s Tour de Suisse account with a tight sprint finish that had to be decided by the photo. Ciolek of Milram second, Friere 3rd.
Stage 3, June 15: Davos - Lumino, 195km: Cavendish adds another to his and Columbia’s great season tally, beating big guns Freire and Hushovd. Cancellara still in lead.
Stage 4, June 16: Biasca - Stäfa, 197km: Matti Breschel (SaxoBank) wins the stage from a break while Tadej Valjavec (AG2R) takes over the lead.
Stage 5, June 17: Stäfa - Serfaus (AUT), 202km: Albasini decides to take his turn for a win. They must be getting through the champagne at the Columbia dinner table on this tour!
Overall Standings
1. Tadej Valjavec 18h52m01s
2. Olivier Zaugg 14s
3. Fabian Cancellara 14s
4. Roman Kreuziger 42s
5. Andreas Kloden 45s
6. Tony Martin 54s
7. Maxime Monfort 55s
8. Gustav Erik Larsson 56s
9. Vladimir Karpets 1m01s
10. Rein Taaramae 1m02s
Remaining Stages Stage 6, June 18: Oberriet - Bad Zurzach, 178km Stage 7, June 19: Bad Zurzach - Vallorbe Juraparc, 204km Stage 8, June 20: Le Sentier - Crans Montana, 182km Stage 9, June 21: Bern - Bern (ITT), 39km
Pez Polkadots
Well, not really, but the ever faithful PEZ classic jersey was spotted (ha ha) on the television coverage at around 7km to go on yesterday’s final climb at the Tour de Suisse.
This time it wasn’t the fans, but Austrian based “Master of Everything PEZ” Jered Gruber, who had cycled up part of the climb to bring us some great pictures as part of the Pez Roadside Coverage of the Swiss tour.
Stay tuned over the next couple of days for his RoadSide reports and if you want to get noticed on TV, (like our Ale Federico at the Giro or Jered in Switzerland), grab yourself some PEZ kit in time for the summer.
Ster Elektrotoer
Yesterday was the day for riders winning stages in their home tours it seems with Niki Terpstra taking the opening prologue time trial of the Ster Elektrotoer in the Netherlands.
Terpstra added to his stage from the Dauphine and brought his Milram team’s season tally to seven by beating Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoliel) and Piet Rooijakkers of Team Skil-Shimano over the 6.9km course.
“I am very happy. When I saw the course, I hoped that I could do well here. That it was good enough for first place is of course fantastic,” Terpstra said after the finish. “Our team now goes highly motivated into the next days and we will do all we can to hold on to the overall lead.”
2009 Ster Elektrotoer Stages: Stage 1 June 17: Gemert – Germert (ITT), 6.9km Stage 2 June 18: Eindhoven – Sittard/Geleen, 175km Stage 3 June 19: Schimmert – Schimmert, 179km Stage 4 June 20: Verviers (BEL) – La Gileppe (BEL), 189km Stage 5 June 21: Beek – Helmont, 179km
Bio Passport Names Revealed
After making contact with riders, their teams and their national federations, the UCI announced yesterday the first five riders against whom disciplinary proceedings would be opened due to the results obtained in the Biological Passport program.
The five named riders are:
Igor Astarloa (ESP)
Pietro Caucchioli (ITA)
Francesco De Bonis (ITA)
Ruben Lobato Elvira (ESP)
Ricardo Serrano Gonzalez (ESP)
From the details released by some of the teams who employ these riders, the suspect test results appear to be from the 2008 season. This tends to indicate that the “examining of all the potential legal loopholes” that was undertaken to ensure that the new method being employed by the UCI to catch drug cheats was water tight, has caused a fair time lag between the red flag going up at the lab and the rider being notified of the disciplinary procedure.
Now that the notification stage has started, it also seem likely that there will be more names coming in the near future.
Fuji Servetto on Serano:
“According to the documentation received, the anomalies into his blood values were found in samples from controls made in 2008, when Serrano was part of another team [Tinkoff], with no remarkable variations found in the 2009 samples –as well in the blood passport as in the internal controls by the team- since the rider signed with the team. However, and according to the agreement on this matter and the team’s policy, the rider has been temporarily suspended until his case is put in order by the authority in charge of the case.”
Lampre on Caucchioli:
Referring to the documents received, the value that brought to a warning about a potential anti-doping rule violation concerns a blood test taken in September 2008 before Tour de Poland, when the cyclist wasn't in Team Lampre-NGC [Credit Agricole] . While in 2009, also considering the data we collected, there aren't anomalies and sanitary behaviour of the athlete has been correct.
With regards to the other three riders: Astarloa, the 2003 World Road Champion who currently rides for Amica Chips-Knauf, was at Milram in 2008 until he was fired by the team for “irregular blood values” DeBonis rides for Diquigiovanni, but was at Gerolsteiner in 2008 Lobato rode for Saunier Duval/Scott in 2008.
Hamilton Takes Eight
What will probably be the final chapter in Tyler Hamilton’s chequered racing career has closed with the announcement this week that the rider had accepted an eight year suspension for his positive drug test for testosterone.
While Hamilton had already served a ban for blood doping in 2004, the latest positive came after an out of competition test in February. The Rock Racing rider admitted the taking the over the counter homeopathic anti-depressant (containing DHEA) as he was battling depression.
“The eight-year suspension is unfortunate and disheartening. At this time, however, my focus remains on my mother, my family, battling my depression and getting better. This has been an extremely difficult and trying period, but I am determined to get through it,” Hamilton said in a statement.
"I would like to thank Michael Ball, the Rock Racing team, my fans, family and friends, for their continued support during this time. Moving forward, I am going to put a lot of my time and energy towards helping others who face severe depression overcome the obstacles this illness brings.”
Vino Back In July
After testing positive for blood doping and “retiring” from the sport with only a short ban from the Kazakh federation, Alexander Vinokourov announced last year that he would be returning because his one year suspension was over. The UCI cried foul and said that if he was coming back, they were going to re-open disciplinary proceedings against the rider. The governing body did not pursue an appeal against the short ban on the grounds that the rider had announced that he was retiring.
Earlier this week, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) issued a preliminary decision in its arbitration between the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), Alexander Vinokourov (Kazakhstan) and the Kazakhstan Cycling Federation (KCF).
1. The decision adopted on 5 December 2007 by the Anti-Doping Commission of the Kazakhstan Cycling Federation is set aside.
2. Mr Vinokurov committed an anti-doping rule violation under Articles 15.2 of the Anti-Doping Regulations of the Union Cycliste Internationale and, according to Articles 261, 268 and 275 of the Anti-Doping Regulations, is declared ineligible for a period of two years commencing on 24 July 2007.
3. Mr Vinokurov will be eligible to compete in international competitions as of 24 July 2009.
Harlem Rocks!
Organisers of the Skyscraper Harlem Cycling Classic announced today that Rockstar Games are the new presenting sponsor of their June 21 event.
This year will be the 36th running of the Harlem Classic and the 2009 race will be run as a tribute to the event founder, David Walker, (Det. Sgt. Ret. NYDP) who passed away in July of 2008. In 1973 Mr. Walker started a children’s bicycle safety program for children, which quickly became the Skyscraper, the oldest and most prestigious cycling race New York City.
The event has always mixed community service with high-level professional racing. For 35-years, Mr. Walker gave away bicycles to winners of the children’s races that kick off the day’s activities at 12:00 noon. His great tradition will be continued this year and into the future.
11:00 am Registration for Children and Community
12:00 pm Children’s and Community Races
12:50 – 3:00 Amateur Men
3:00 pm Women’s Open
3:35 pm Cadence Cycling Foundation Kid’s Program
4:00 pm Professional Men, The Mayor’s Brotherhood Cup
Gran Fondo Canadian Style
Here in Italy, the Gran Fondo season is in full swing and there’s not a weekend go by where there isn’t an option to get out and about on an organised ride.
Fear not, North American readers, as you can also get in on the action on July 5, with the second running of the highly successful Gran Fondo Everti. The 250km event, which is not a race, takes in the rolling hills and beautiful scenery of southern Vancouver Island.
The 250km route will start and finish in the Cowichan Valley and there will be vehicle support and mandatory check points with food, drinks & mechanical support throughout the course. Organisers also suggest participants bring a spare tube and a multi-tool but also add that “No one will be left behind.”
There is a June 28 closing date for registrations and all participants must have a cycling club membership or Cycling BC licence (memberships will be available through the Experience Cycling Club at the event registration).
For full details of the ride including maps and registration requirements, check out the Everti Bike website.
World Endurance Record Attempt
If you sometimes feel like your life is going around in circles, spare a thought for Dan McGehee this Saturday as he attempts to break the 100-mile world record for cycling endurance, which will require him to complete 644 laps around the 250m Home Depot Center Velodrome in Carson, California.
The current record of 3:47:26 was set by Australian Rod Evans on May 8, 1994, averaging speeds of 26.38 miles per hour.
McGehee’s attempt to break this world record will be monitored and certified by the Ultra Marathon Cycling Association, which sanctions the Race Across America and other long-distance cycling events and competitions. This event is one of the ongoing activities sponsored by RideClean to raise awareness about the issue of performance enhancing drugs in sport.
Aussie Nationals Staying At Buninyong
With the World Road Championships Down Under next year, the Australian Open Road Championships – where the professional national champion’s jersey is awarded every January – have been secured for the Buninyong circuit near Ballarat for the next six years.
Under the agreement the Australian Open Road Cycling Championships will, for the first time, combine all three national road disciplines - the time trial, road race and criterium as part of the Championship series.
“The event has grown in stature and prestige over recent years and the feedback that we have had from our members has been very positive,” said Cycling Australia Chief Executive Officer Graham Fredericks.
“We are also pleased to confirm the criterium will be added to the cycling festival in Ballarat where the road races and time trials have been staged so successfully. It should be a spectacular festival of cycling for fans and supporters who flock to Ballarat for the event.”
UK Summer SkyRide
Television broadcaster Sky, have announced a series of mass-participation summer cycling events, supported by British Cycling, to encourage Great Britain to get back on the bike.
Throughout the summer there will be Skyride events in four UK city centres, with streets closed to traffic, and hundreds of local guided rides. These free events will give tens of thousands of people, of all ages and abilities, the chance to enjoy riding with their family and friends.
The Skyride scheme builds on Sky’s partnership with British Cycling, announced last summer, and follows the creation of a new professional road-cycling team which aims to take on the world in the Tour de France. By inspiring people, through these and other initiatives, Sky is setting itself the target of getting one million more people cycling in the next five years.
The Skyride summer of cycling will include: Skyride city events – New mass participation rides in traffic-free city centres in Manchester [Sunday 2 August], Glasgow [Sunday 23 August] and Leicester [Sunday 30 August] as well as a London event. Each will be attended by medal-winning members of the GB Cycling team such as Sir Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton and Jamie Staff.
The Mayor of London’s Skyride – Staged on traffic-free roads around the major landmarks on Sunday 20 September. Formerly known as Sky Sports London Freewheel, last year’s free family event brought over 50,000 riders onto the capital’s streets.
Skyride local events – Around 400 hosted rides, led by trained ride leaders from British Cycling, starting in July. Focussed on areas around the Skyride cities, they will cater for all abilities, from novice to expert, to encourage families and friends to ride together.
Sky has launched a new cycling website at www.goskyride.com which will carry news, information and online registration for each of the Skyride events. The site will also feature tips and expert advice on how to ride safely and in comfort plus views from Sky’s cycling ambassadors and British Cycling’s stars.
Roadside St. 14 When you start each new Giro you understand you’re a year older. You feel a stranger to the village approach and for a moment ... More....
Professional cycling has, over the years, attracted only a few documentary film makers. A few, such as Jorgen Leth’s “A Sunday in Hell,” have even ... More....
I’m just digging out from a few days at the BMC training camp, and while I won’t be reporting on doing Jaeger-bombs and Redbulls with Cadel & George, ... More....
As the final Madison got underway the arena was packed to the rafters, all the talk of Six Days in crisis forgotten for now. The finale was ... More....
Six Day racing comes to Berlin for the 99th time on Thursday, 28th January, 2010 with the great tradition of winter track racing in Germany in a ... More....
American Classic spent the last couple of years reworking their line up and the 420 Aeros are the latest to leave the bench. Take a look at the new ... More....
A couple years in the making, Pez head up to see arguably the top custom builder on the planet. We hit Serotta's NY shop, take a peek at their ... More....
You’ve still got today and all of tomorrow to ‘git ‘er done! Your holiday shopping that is… and armed with the complete set of 4 gift guides ... More....
If the stocking's not full - somebody's not doing their job. Good thing we're here to help with a big ol' bag full of the kind of stuff we'd love to ... More....
Winter riding is almost upon us - except for you lucky Aussies - and that means less riding outdoors. But with an indoor trainer and a Netflix ... More....
Many ergogenic aids, both legal and illegal, have been touted as the magic bullet that will improve cycling performance. What about something that ... More....
Having goals is one of the important first steps in achieving your dreams. They can be small goals or they can be big goals, but without them you’ll ... More....
Is cycling your religion, or at least one of them? If so, you’re not alone. Many people define themselves as “spiritual,” even if they don’t practice ... More....
Post-Giro Roadside: I love Scotland; but there’s no Gazzetta in the morning, most of the coffee tastes like John Wayne brewed it beside the ... More....
Sunday July 20th 1969; that’s 40 years ago now but I remember it clearly as the day that I first became aware of professional bicycle racing – I was ... More....
Roadside Recap: As we make our merry way through the rounds of the PEZ Looks Back, Ed is up for his retrospective on the Tour that was. As the ... More....
Coming on four years ago, Saul Raisin was one of THE big things in US pro cycling. Top 40 in a hard Tour de Suisse and mountain king at the Tour de ... More....
The last time we spoke to Garmin's Steve Cozza was after the 2008 Paris - Tours; where he produced another solid performance from a consistent and ... More....
Just about to start his second season with Cervélo - thanks to strong Classic rides and his first Grand Tour finish, in the Giro - Englishman, Dan ... More....
In October, nine-time Tour de France rider Frankie Andreu announced that he would be Director Sportif of the Ohio-based KENDA Pro Cycling p/b ... More....
With so many (too many?) others looking back to best-of-2009 or decade highlights, why not look ahead? A new decade beckons, after all, so who better ... More....
We first talked with Lostende Bike Tours owner and avid cyclist Allan Reeves about his Pyrenees Cycling Challenge, from the Atlantic to the ... More....
So, riding in Texas is mostly flat, with only tumbleweeds and armadillos to avoid right? Well, not exactly. You see, Austin is situated in what’s ... More....
Roadside St. 14 When you start each new Giro you understand you’re a year older. You feel a stranger to the village approach and for a moment ... More....
Professional cycling has, over the years, attracted only a few documentary film makers. A few, such as Jorgen Leth’s “A Sunday in Hell,” have even ... More....
I’m just digging out from a few days at the BMC training camp, and while I won’t be reporting on doing Jaeger-bombs and Redbulls with Cadel & George, ... More....
Race report: Alejandro Valverde stayed upright to seal his Vuelta victory – the first Grand Tour win of his career. On such a short stage, ... More....
Race Report: Today David Millar won his 5th stage in all his Vuelta’s, he was given one of the swords that Toledo is famous for along with the ... More....
The loss of Franco Ballerini is not one that will be forgotten anytime soon. The sport's best are at a loss and two of the greatest riders of our ... More....
Updated! Hallelujah, they're racing in Qatar, and I just got back from celebrating with every other New Orleanian on Bourbon Street. There's ... More....
It was a dark Sunday morning in Italy when the news services announced that Franco Ballerini, ex-professional, former dual Paris-Roubaix winner and ... More....
The maracas shake, 'Cara mia, mine !' blasts from the PA. Bang! The little cannon fires and the hall fills with smoke. Yes, this is the right place, ... More....
When the K-Mart Classic of West Virginia stormed through the state in the mid-90s, it opened awareness as to just how great the bike riding is in ... More....
After riding the final 17 sectors of Paris-Roubaix yesterday, and typing to you with still swollen, sore, and blistered hands, I understand to my ... More....
![](javascript:showpic("http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/tech/amclass/amc420alarge.jpg",900,698);)
![](javascript:showpic("http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/tech/serotta/meilarge.jpg",2000,1244);)
