First Edition Cycling News, Thursday, November 26, 2009

• Previous Edition
• Next Edition

Date published:

November 26, 2009, 12:00

• Civil Guard release details of Operación Grial

  

  Article published:

  November 25, 2009, 16:50

  By:

  Richard Tyler

  Spanish authorities confirm 11 people detained

  The Spanish Civil Guard have released details of Tuesday's raids on locations across Spain that targeted an alleged doping ring and led to the arrest of 11 individuals, including three cyclists.

  Dubbed Operación Grial [Operation Grail], the Civil Guard issued a statement today which outlined the basis for the raids carried out in the cities of Valencia, Barcelona, Murcia and Granada, as well as the initials of the nine men and two women subsequently detained.

  "Investigations were initiated in early August 2009 when the Civil Guard became aware of the existence of a group of people, mostly residents in Valencia, which were dedicated to supplying doping products to people of different sports and categories," read the statement.

  The Civil Guard also revealed details of the activities of the alleged doping ring, which they say include the distribution of EPO, growth hormones and masking agents.

  "During the investigations it was discovered that among the network of members was a physician with sports and dietary consultation in Valencia, whose role would be to prepare training plans, nutrition and supplementation aimed at improving the performance of athletes, including substances in these plans prohibited in sport."

  Various Spanish media sources have identified Peruvian physician and former Kelme team doctor Walter Viru, and Contentpolis-AMPO cyclist Pedro José Vera as two of the individuals who were detained as part of the operation. The Civil Guard's statement provided the initials and alleged roles of those arrested on Tuesday:

  In Valencia:

  W.S.V.R. (sports doctor), M.M.G., (wife and physician assistant); J.D.V.M. (pharmacist and son of the above); W.J.V.M (son and partner of the above), S.A.B., E.R.M. and C.V.M. (distributors), V.N.R., (athletic trainer), J.O.R., (dealer and amateur cyclist).

  In Murcia:

  P.J.V.A. (distributor and professional cyclist).

  In Barcelona:

  C.N.T. (dealer and amateur cyclist).

  The Civil Guard said the operation had dismantled the alleged doping ring, however it has not ruled out making further arrests.

  Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed
   

• UCI registers seventeen ProTour teams for 2010

  

  Article published:

  November 25, 2009, 16:55

  By:

  Cycling News

  Lampre-Farnese Vini denied registration, ProTour licence in jeopardy

  The UCI ProTour Council (UPTC) announced today that seventeen ProTour teams have successfully registered for the 2010 season. Italy's Lampre-Farnese Vini team, however, was denied registration for the upcoming season. The UPTC has referred the matter regarding Lampre-Farnese Vini to the License Commission which will make a decision on whether or not the team's UCI ProTour license will be withdrawn.

  Teams are required to submit a registration application to the International Cycling Union (UCI) on an annual basis. This procedure, which is assessed by external consultants, allows the UCI to check that all teams meet the requirements established by the regulations, particularly administrative and financial.

  The UCI ProTour licence and the registration of UCI ProTour teams are two different matters. To be part of the UCI ProTour a team must obtain a licence, valid from 1-4 years, which is based on sporting, ethical and financial criteria, taking into account the team's history and guarantees provided for the future. The licence implies the right and obligation to participate in all UCI ProTour events.

  Registration is an annual procedure to check that teams have the team and budget in place to carry out their activities during the coming season.

  The following ProTour teams have been registered by the UPTC for 2010:

  AG2R La Mondiale (Fra)
  Astana (Kaz)
  Caisse d’Epargne (Spa)
  Euskaltel-Euskadi (Spa)
  Footon-Servetto (Spa)
  Française des Jeux (Fra)
  Garmin-Slipstream (USA)
  Liquigas-Doimo (Ita)
  Omega Pharma-Lotto (Bel)
  Quick Step (Bel)
  Rabobank (Ned)
  Saxo Bank (Den)
  Team Columbia-HTC (USA)
  Team Katusha (Rus)
  Team Milram (Ger)
  Team RadioShack (USA)
  Team Sky (GBr)

  Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed

• Astana keeps ProTour licence and Contador

  

  Article published:

  November 25, 2009, 18:40

  By:

  Shane Stokes

  (UPDATED) UCI announces that team registration is approved

  The UCI ProTour commission today approved the registration of the Astana team for 2010, thus ensuring that it will retain both its ProTour licence and the services of Tour de France champion Alberto Contador.

  The existence of the Kazakhstan squad had been under serious threat due to a series of late payments this season. The financial troubles led to extra demands from the UCI, including a bank guarantee covering the year's budget.

  While this has not yet been provided, a UCI press release issued this evening states that it is expected shortly.

  "Looking forward to the 2010 season, the UCI requested the Kazakh team to provide an additional bank guarantee so that the regrettable situation in 2009 would not be repeated and so that the request for the withdrawal of the Astana licence would not have to be reactivated," stated the communique.

  "This request is not connected in any way to the registration procedure for UCI ProTeams …but to the request for the withdrawal of the Astana licence that would have to be reactivated if the bank guarantee is not provided. The UCI awaits this bank guarantee and is confident it will be provided soon."

  That guarantee is thought to be equivalent to the team's annual budget, which has been estimated at €15 million. Normally, teams are required to pay a portion of that rather than the full amount. Cyclingnews received confirmation on Tuesday that the unusual demands were indeed made, due to the financial troubles experienced by the team this season.

  The squad will be backed by state holding company Samruk-Kazyna in 2010 and it has been reported that the name will change to reflect this.

  Having been frustrated by the various issues surrounding the team this year, Contador had openly stated that he wanted to leave. Since the Tour de France, the Spaniard has been in talks with several other teams, including Caisse d'Epargne, Garmin-Slipstream, Quick Step and Liquigas.

  However he announced earlier this month that he was satisfied with the new team management and that he would stay with Astana providing it kept its ProTour licence. He also required that it set up a programme of internal testing in order to ensure that there would be no doping problems.

  The 26-year-old will now finish out the remainder of his contract, racing in the team colours next season.

  Contador was by far the most successful rider on the team in 2009. He took eighteen UCI victories, including the Tour de France, with Levi Leipheimer next-closest with four. Andreas Klöden picked up two wins, while Alexandre Vinokourov, Gregory Rast, and Janez Brajkovic secured one apiece.

  Twelve of this year's riders have moved from Astana to the RadioShack squad of his big rival Lance Armstrong, including Leipheimer and Klöden. The 2010 version of Astana is likely not be as physically strong as this year's team, potentially making the Tour closer than it was in 2009.

  However it will certainly be more cohesive, with the troops rallying around one clear captain rather than split between two leaders.

  Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed

• Pereiro to bolster Contador’s support

  

  Article published:

  November 25, 2009, 22:05

  By:

  Shane Stokes

  Two Tour champions to work together in 2010

  Deciding to remain within the sport after some time contemplating retirement, the 2006 Tour de France winner Oscar Pereiro will look to regain his best form in time for next year’s race. The motivation for that is not to chase personal success, but rather to help compatriot Alberto Contador take what would be his third Tour victory.

  Speaking on the Radio Galega programme, the 32-year-old said that he’d committed to Astana, but also had an option to go to Quick Step if the Kazakh team lost its ProTour licence.

  Astana received notification today that it would retain the licence, and thus Pereiro will be riding for the squad in 2010.

  “I signed for a year,” he said, indicating that the deal was done last week. He had previously been in talks with the Xacebeo team from his region of Galicia, but nothing came of that. “I imagine that the problem is an economic one,” he said, before adding, “things in Xacobeo are not done as well as they could be.”

  Pereiro finished tenth in the Tour on three different occasions, and led the race for several days in 2006. He was second in Paris but was subsequently named as the winner after Floyd Landis tested positive for testosterone. He rode for team leader Alejandro Valverde in the 2008 Tour but crashed hard on the 15th stage of the race, pitching over a guardrail and hitting the road below.

  The physical and mental effects of that crash made it difficult to come back and he was far below his usual form in this year’s Tour. He quit on stage eight and considered giving up the sport, but now will try to help Contador take another maillot jaune to Paris.

  While Astana has lost many strong riders to RadioShack, the young Spaniard will be backed by others such as Pereiro, Jesus Hernandez, Benjamin Noval, David de la Fuente, Enrico Gasparotto, Gorazd Stangelj and Paolo Tiralongo. Alexandre Vinokourov is also on the team but it is uncertain if he would be permitted to ride the Tour.

  The Kazakh failed a doping control test for homologous blood transfusion during the 2007 race, and so his presence may not be welcomed by organisers ASO. Contador is also said to have expressed reservations about the Vinokourov taking part, although this has been played down of late.

  Providing Pereiro regains form, he would appear to be a shoo-in for the Tour squad. He’s a good climber, an experienced competitor, and would be of considerable value to Contador in the mountains.

  Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed

• Spanish training camps for Vacansoleil

  

  Article published:

  November 26, 2009, 10:20

  By:

  Hedwig Kröner

  Feillu brothers to prepare for early season races

  Professional Continental team Vacansoleil is busy planning its pre-season training camps, taking place in Benidorm on the Meditarrenean coast of Spain. Riders and staff of the Dutch squad will meet in the popular holiday location from December 12-18 for a first camp, then gather there again during two weeks in January. The exact dates are still to be scheduled.

  The team's most prominent riders, the Feillu brothers, will both start next season early. Brice and Romain Feillu will give their 2010 debut in their homeland, France, at the GP d'Ouverture La Marseillaise. The first race of the French Cup next year will take place on January 31, 2010.

  Romain, a sprinter by nature, will then participate in the Tours of Qatar and Oman in February, while his brother Brice, a climber, targets the Tour Méditerranéen and the Ruta del Sol.

  Brice Feillu rode himself into the limelight by winning the seventh stage of the Tour de France this year. Romain, a silver medallist at the 2006 U23 Worlds, was able to wear the yellow jersey in the 2008 Tour for one day.

  The Vacansoleil team will look to perform well as soon as next season gets underway, as it is hoping to be allotted a wildcard for the Tour de France by race organiser ASO. The squad's objective will be to impress the French company with strong performances, especially in Qatar and Oman - events also organised by ASO.

  Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed.

• McEwen favourite for Tour Down Under overall, says organiser

  

  Article published:

  November 26, 2009, 11:29

  By:

  Gregor Brown

  Aussie sprinter recovering from disastrous season, to start 2010 at home

  Australian Robbie McEwen is a favourite for overall victory at the Tour Down Under, according to race organiser Mike Turtur. He has won the most stages in the race's history, but is battling back from a mid-season crash.

  "Robbie is one of the fastest sprinters in the world and he'll be a contender for the sprint jersey as well as overall honours," said Turtur in a press release.

  The 12th edition of the Tour Down Under starts January 17 and runs through January 24. McEwen has raced in all but two editions (1999, 2001) and has won a total of 12 stages in the event. He finished second overall in 2004, 1'13" behind winner Patrick Jonker.

  Nevertheless, 37 year-old McEwen might have a tough time at the race. He hit a street sign with his left knee in Tour of Belgium stage two May 28 this year. The crash fractured his shinbone near the knee and sliced through ligaments.

  Though he returned to finish second in a criterium, the crash ended his season early and required three operations. McEwen is now back in Australia and training. He rode 150 kilometres last week, according to his postings on Twitter.

  "It wouldn't be the Tour Down Under without Robbie," continued Turtur. "He is fast, competitive and always ready to put on a show in front of a home crowd."

  Alexandr Pliuschin, Pavel Brutt, Denis Galimzyanov, Joan Horrach, Sergey Klimov and Stijn Vandenbergh will join McEwen at the Tour Down Under.

  It's the second year for Katusha to participate in the race, where last year it made its debut as a team.

• 2010 Tour: Details of Belgian stages emerge

  

  Article published:

  November 26, 2009, 11:48

  By:

  Hedwig Kröner

  Stages finish and start locations in Brussels determined

  Good news for all those who plan to see the early stages of the next Tour de France in the Netherlands and Belgium: the exact locations of the stage one finish and start of stage two are reportedly determined.

  Tour de France organiser Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO) has not yet confirmed the exact route of the 97th Tour, but after multiple visits of technical director Jean-François Pescheux in Belgium, the settings of the finish of stage one coming from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, as well as next day's stage departure towards Spa, Belgium, seem to be agreed upon.

  Stage one July 4 is reported by Belgian La Dernière Heure to end on the Avenue Houba de Strooper in the Northern outskirts of Brussels, right in front of the Stadium King Baudouin, the same location as the finish of one day race Paris-Brussels. This locations is very close to the famous Atomium, a monument built in 1958 for the World's Fair.

  On the next day, July 5, the Tour's caravan will get underway to Spa in the Ardennes region in the city's Esplanade du Cinquantenaire park, located South of the city centre. The majestic garden will provide a stunning scenery for the start of stage three.

  The precise routes of these stages are yet to be determined. "We have made several reconnaissances to determine the best itineraries," said Eddy Merckx, who will be honoured by ASO next year as one of the stages will pass through the five-time Tour champion's home town of Meise, located North of the capital.

  The final routes of next year's Tour will decided and confirmed throughout the first months of 2010. ASO usually releases full details of the event's stages by April, or in June at the latest.

   

  Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed.

• Lampre confident in keeping ProTour licence

  

  Article published:

  November 26, 2009, 12:08

  By:

  Gregor Brown

  Team manager Saronni working with UCI on requirements

  Italy's Lampre-Farnese Vini team is confident it will be part of cycling's top-level ProTour next year. Team manager Giuseppe Saronni is working with the International Cycling Union (UCI) to make sure his team meets the requirements to keep its licence.

  "I'm optimistic," Saronni told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "The problem is that the revision mechanism becomes stricter every year. I will wait to hear from the UCI what information they need from us, but I don't think it will be a problem."

  The UCI ProTour Council (UPTC) requires teams to submit a registration application on an annual basis. The application allows the UCI to check that a team meets regulations, particularly administrative and financial.

  The UPTC confirmed the registration of 17 teams yesterday, including Alberto Contador's team Astana. However, it left off Lampre and referred the decision of cancelling its ProTour licence to the licence commission.

  Lampre is the team of Damiano Cunego and Alessandro Petacchi. Cunego won two stages of the Vuelta a España this season and Petacchi, signed for 2010, should bring the team sprint victories.