First Edition Cycling News, Tuesday, February 7, 2012

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February 7, 12:00

• Liggett on Armstrong: The whole investigation was a waste of money

  

  Article published:

  February 6, 21:31

  By:

  Daniel Benson

  He looked at me and he said ‘man I’ve seen death in the face and I don’t take drugs'

  Phil Liggett welcomed the decision of the US Attorney’s office in Los Angeles to close the investigation into Lance Armstrong and the US Postal team. A two-year long enquiry concluded last Friday with no criminal charges. Armstrong released a statement welcoming the news, and on Sunday evening his friend and supporter, Liggett, reiterated the sentiment.

  “I always felt that would be the decision. People asked me what would happen, and I said absolutely nothing and that’s how I’ve always felt. I thought that there was a lot of money being spent and there was no evidence turning up, just a lot of accusations which were all circumstantial and quite frankly I felt the whole investigation was a waste of money so I wasn’t surprised with what we’ve heard,” Liggett told Cyclingnews.

  Asked if the news was a positive step for cycling Liggett said, “It can only be a good thing as one would hope it would drop out of the headlines now. Nobody has proved anything against him. I’ve been relatively close to him and he’s always categorically told me to my face that he hasn’t taken drugs. I read all the stories, I read all the accusations and I read the links and potential possibilities, but at the end of the day there’s no evidence or proof so we’ve got to move on and we can't live in the past.”

  Liggett also questioned why WADA and USADA would want to take up the reins over any possible investigation into alleged doping on the US Postal team between 1999 and 2004.

  “If WADA are going to continue to press then one must ask the question why because all they’re going to do is waste a lot of money and the guy has finished cycling, if they find him guilty what’s the point?”

  Liggett has always been a strong supporter of Armstrong, and has commentated on all seven of the American’s Tour de France wins. However, while Ligggett admits that he has had his doubts over the American’s career, a one-on-one moment in private convinced him to believe Armstrong was clean.

  “He told me in a private situation, when I wasn’t working as a journalist. I was sat in the bedroom some years ago, and I asked him point blank, ‘look Lance, the way I talked you up on television, I would have to back off and resign if you one day went positive’. And he looked at me and he said ‘man I’ve seen death in the face and I don’t take drugs.’ And that’s all he said. I have no reason to disbelieve him.”

  “But I’ve been with him on his private jet when he’s been reading stuff on Cyclingnews and he’s gone, ‘god damn it look at what they’re saying about me again’ and he just passes his computer over to his friends.”

• Video: Cancellara reacts to Contador's doping ban

  

  Article published:

  February 7, 00:04

  By:

  Cycling News

  Swiss rider weighs in at Tour of Qatar

  News of CAS's decision on Monday to issue Alberto Contador a two-year ban for his 2010 positive test for clenbuterol at the Tour de France quickly spread throughout the world of professional cycling.

  While Contador had been competing in Spain's Challenge Mallorca, many of the stars of the ProTour are currently in the Middle East taking part in the Tour of Qatar, including Swiss powerhouse Fabian Cancellara.

  The 30-year-old RadioShack-Nissan rider was asked about the Contador verdict soon after he and his teammates completed the Tour of Qatar's second stage, a 11.3km team time trial.

  "We're now starting 2012, and what happened was in 2010," said Cancellara. "Waiting so long, I think that's not fair. It's not fair for him, it's not fair for the sport all over the world."

  Cancellara was asked to comment about the CAS decision itself and whether he was surprised by the two-year ban.

  Use this on all articles. The player is narrow enough to fit next to the article gallery images box on the right.

  Tags:

  doping

• Phinney ready to fulfill his promise

  

  Article published:

  February 7, 02:39

  By:

  Mark Robinson

  US rider says second year with BMC will bring the best out of him

  After displaying prodigious talent as a teenager, Taylor Phinney has long been identified as the next big thing in US cycling. After a meteoric rise to fame that included a host of world and national junior championships on the track and victory in the U23 race at Paris-Roubaix in 2010 in Livestrong Trek colours, much was expected of him when he signed to race for BMC last year.

  But not everything went to plan in his debut season as a full-time professional. By his own admission, the 21-year-old from Boulder wasn't fully prepared for the step-up and didn't find his feet until late in the year. But he is confident that it will be a different story this time round and claims that he is "excited" rather than "stressed" as he begins his season at the Tour of Qatar.

  "Compared to last year I think that having a full year underneath me as a pro has been really important and I’m a lot more relaxed," he told Cyclingnews. "Last year I had a couple of knee problems and I didn’t really know what was required during the winter to get myself into the best shape mentally and physically.

  "Having a season with 70 plus race days under my belt has made a huge difference. My busiest year before that was around half that number, so last season was a big step up for me and I don't think I was truly ready for it."

  Up until that point Phinney's reputation in the sport had climbed every year, so hearing murmurs of doubt from the press was a new sensation for him. Having come out the other side, does he feel that he has a score to settle with both himself and some of the critics that came out of the woodwork in the early part of last year?

  "I don’t really feel I have that much of a score to settle," he said. "I got back up on my feet quite well in the latter part of 2011. I had a good show at the ENECO Tour in August and then a decent time trial in the Vuelta. I got further than I thought I would in that race and it gave me confidence. I just need to keep progressing from those performances and keep improving. I feel that I am in good shape to do that.

  "Happiness and stress levels are a huge factor in a rider’s performance. Generally I’d say my stress levels are a lot lower now and happiness is much higher, and that has helped me to have fun at these races as opposed to being nervous about them. I have really been looking forward to racing with Thor [Hushovd] and Phil [Philippe Gilbert], who are two of my huge idols when I think about my favourite riders on the peloton. Being be able to race alongside them is a huge thrill.

  "This time round everything is more familiar. I know people on the peloton and have made a lot of friends now. I am able to be more social and hang out with the guys a bit more. I’m really excited to be here in Qatar and I know Eddy Merckx puts on a really good race every year. I missed it last time but I’m glad to be back."

• Charteau to return to happy Langkawi hunting grounds

  

  Article published:

  February 7, 06:19

  By:

  Cycling News

  Frenchman to lead Europcar in Malaysian stage race

  Anthony Charteau will return to the site of his first major stage race triumph, the Tour de Langkawi, when his Europcar team takes to the Malaysian roads later this February.

  Charteau claimed the victory back in 2007 courtesy of a sizeable time gap earned on the third stage to Cameron Highlands, before a gutsy fight to hold on against the pure climbers on Genting sealed the win. It was watershed moment for the Frenchman who went on to take out the King of the Mountains title in the 2010 Tour de France.

  "Le Tour de Langkawi has always had a special place in my heart," said Charteau, who added that having missed the last few events due to other commitment overseas, he's happy to finally be returning to Malaysia for the 17th edition of the race. "I’ve always wanted to ride Le Tour de Langkawi again despite the long trip from France."

  Charteau will be supported by a Europcar team prepared for multiple scenarios with Matteo Pelucchi and Yoann Gene providing options in the sprints, and a time trial ace in Jérome Cousin.

  The Europcar team for the 2012 Tour de Langkawi:

  Anthony Charteau, Mathieu Claude, Yohann Gene, Jérome Cousin, Cyril Gautier (All French), Matteo Pelucchi (Ita).

• New winners emerge from Contador's suspension

  

  Article published:

  February 7, 09:23

  By:

  Cycling News

  A comprehensive guide to the results

  Given the overnight CAS ruling for Alberto Contador's positive test for clenbuterol at the 2010 Tour de France, the Spaniard's race results dating back to and including the 2010 Tour have been deemed void.

  Here, Cyclingnews takes a look at Contador's palmares since the 2010 Tour, and lists the riders whose results have been given a boost with his omission.
   

  2011 Results -
  3rd Stage 3 Volta ao Algarve	New result: 1 Stephen Cummings (GBr) Sky Procycling 2 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad 3 Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
  1st Stage 2 Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia	New result: 1 Denis Menchov (Rus) Geox-TMC 2 Jerome Coppel (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 3 Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo (Col) Geox-TMC
  1st Stage 3 Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia	New result: 1 Jerome Coppel (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 2 Denis Menchov (Rus) Geox-TMC 3 Alex Dowsett (GBr) Sky Procycling
  1st General Classification Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia	New result: 1 Jerome Coppel (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 2 Denis Menchov (Rus) Geox-TMC 3 Wout Poels (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM
  1st Stage 3 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya	New result: 1 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD 2 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack 3 Daniel Martin (Irl) Team Garmin-Cervelo
  1st General Classification Volta Ciclista a Catalunya	New result: 1 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD 2 Daniel Martin (Irl) Team Garmin-Cervelo 3 Christopher Horner (USA) Team RadioShack
  2nd Mountains classification Volta Ciclista a Catalunya	New result: 1 Nairo Quintana Rojas (Col) Colombia Es Pasion - Cafe De Colombia 2 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 3 Julian Sanchez Pimienta (Spa) Caja Rural
  1st Stage 4 Vuelta Castilla y Leon	New result: 1 Richie Porte (Aus) Saxo Bank Sungard 2 Xavier Tondo Volpini (Spa) Movistar Team 3 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
  2nd Stage 8 Giro d'Italia	New result: 1 Oscar Gatto (Ita) Farnese Vini - Neri Sottoli 2 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre - ISD 3 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) BMC Racing Team
  1st Stage 9 Giro d'Italia	New result: 1 José Rujano Guillen (Ven) Androni Giocattoli 2 Stefano Garzelli 3 Vincenzo Nibali
  2nd Stage 13 Giro d'Italia	New result: 1 José Rujano Guillen (Ven) Androni Giocattoli 2 John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 3 Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
  2nd Stage 14 Giro d'Italia	New result: 1 Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 2 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 3 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD
  3rd Stage 15 Giro d'Italia	New result: 1 Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 2 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone 3 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD
  1st Stage 16 Giro d'Italia	New result: 1 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 2 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD 3 José Rujano Guillen (Ven) Androni Giocattoli
  2nd Stage 19 Giro d'Italia	New result: 1 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Pro Team Astana 2 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 3 John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
  3rd Stage 21 Giro d'Italia	New result: 1 David Millar (GBr) Team Garmin-Cervelo 2 Alex Rasmussen (Den) HTC-Highroad 3 Richie Porte (Aus) Saxo Bank Sungard
  1st General Classification Giro d'Italia	New result: 1 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD 2 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 3 John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
  1st Points classification Giro d'Italia	New result: 1 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD 2 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 3 José Rujano Guillen (Ven) Androni Giocattoli
  2nd Mountains classification Giro d'Italia	New result: 1 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone 2 José Rujano Guillen (Ven) Androni Giocattoli 3 Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
  3rd Spanish National Championship, ITT	New result: 1 Luis León Sánchez (Spa) Rabobank 2 Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 3 Jose Iván Gutiérrez (Spa) Movistar Team
  2nd Spanish National Championship, Road Race	New result: 1 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team 2 Koldo Fernandez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 3 Jesús Herrada Lopez (Spa) Movistar Team
  2nd Stage 4 Tour de France	New result: 1 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 2 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Pro Team Astana 3 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling
  3rd Stage 19 Tour de France	New result: 1 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar 2 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 3 Peter Velits (Svk) HTC-Highroad
  3rd Stage 20 Tour de France	New result: 1 Tony Martin (Ger) HTC-Highroad 2 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 3 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
  2012 Results -
  1st Stage 3 Tour de San Luis	New result: 1 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Omega Pharma-QuickStep 2 Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Col) Androni Giocattoli 3 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Christina Watches-Onfone
  1st Stage 5 Tour de San Luis	New result: 1 Daniel Diaz (Arg) San Luis Somos Todos 2 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Omega Pharma-QuickStep 3 Jose Rodolfo Serpa Perez (Col) Androni Giocattoli
  2nd General Classification Tour de San Luis	New result: 1 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Omega Pharma-QuickStep 2 Daniel Diaz (Arg) San Luis Somos Todos 3 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Christina Watches-Onfone

   

  Tags:

  doping

  Tour de France

  Giro d'Italia

• Prudhomme, Jalabert and Boyer on Contador's doping ban

  

  Article published:

  February 7, 10:36

  By:

  Cycling News

  Prudhomme, Jalabert speak of a "right" decision, Boyer calls for confession

  Following the Court of Arbitration's decision to suspend Alberto Contador for two years for his 2010 Tour de France clenbuterol positive, a number of reactions within the world of cycling have been issued. In France, the verdict has been widely welcomed but some criticism has also been voiced as regards to the lengthy jurisdiction procedure and the start date of Contador's ban.

  The director of the Tour de France, ASO's Christian Prudhomme, was relieved that a verdict had finally been issued. But at the same time, he deplored that the process had taken too long and called for solutions to obtain swifter jurisdiction.

  "Finally the verdict has arrived after 565 days of waiting. This has been too long. In future, the lapse of time between the sporting justice and the media diffusion has to be shorter - this will be absolutely essential," he told L'Equipe TV.

  "In the meantime, Contador continued to race. He raced everywhere: in Spain, Portugal, in Italy where he won the Giro, in Belgium, in France, in Argentina where he won two stages at the Tour de San Luis only a few days ago. Even if sports justice must be serene and even if this case was extraordinarily complex, it is necessary that decisions in this sort of case should be made more rapidly."

  Laurent Jalabert, a cycling champion during his time and now commentator for French television, spoke of a "right" decision. "The sanction applies to a positive doping control. There was a presumption of innocence, then Contador's dossier was examined for a very long time - too long even - and finally the instances decided that it could not be upheld. So the two-year sanction seems just to me," he told RTL.

  "An athlete is responsible of his actions, he is meant to know the rules and be responsible of what he ingests. I'm not saying that Contador is a cheater, he is even a rider whom I appreciate. But this doesn't exclude that he may have made a mistake and that's his responsibility today."

  Moreover, Jalabert deplored that the ban was retrospective. "During these two years, Contador raced. And he won, a lot. He beat riders who may have a clear conscience and who are harmed today by all of this, because they lost races. All those who finished second behind Contador will be feeling really frustrated - they might even feel they've been stolen their victories, as they really deserved to win."

  Cofidis manager Eric Boyer also welcomed the ban, and went even further. He called for Contador to admit his mistake in order to restore his credibility and truly support the fight against doing in the sport.

  "Eighteen months of investigations to come to this result - this may be too long but it also shows that it's serious," Boyer told L'Equipe. "CAS weighed the pros and cons, took into account the experts' analyses and finally deemed that he administered himself Clenbuterol. As a consequence, he tried to cheat. He cheated, he doped. He won having doped.

  "I hope that Contador will not come back and that he will make amends honourably. That he will become aware of his actions, that he explains how he came to do it and that he liberates his conscience."

  The Frenchman continued by demanding that the investigation be continued to identify the backers and organisers of Contador's illicit practices.

  "I would like to see investigations take place to find out who made it possible for him to dope. There are ill-intentioned people who helped him to get (the clenbuterol). I don't know if they can be found but they have to be sought, because it's them who damage the sport most."
   

• Evans: Contador suspension shows cycling in forefront of anti-doping

  

  Article published:

  February 7, 10:49

  By:

  Cycling News

  2011 Tour de France winner bemoans length of case conclusion

  Disqualifying and banning the winner of the 2010 Tour de France shows that cycling is leading in the sports world's fight against doping, said Cadel Evans. The BMC Racing Team rider, who won the 2011 Tour de France, supported the decision to ban Alberto Contador for two years, while decrying the fact that the process took so long.

  "I think the sport of cycling has done more than enough to prove it is doing the right thing," Evans said, according to Fox News.

  "Now it is time for other sports to look at cycling and replicate what cycling does, so the fight against drugs in sport can maybe be beaten one day across all sports."

  The Australian did not give an opinion on Contador's guilt or innocence.  "I don't know all that goes on behind there and what all the real facts are and so on.

  "I go along and do my job and that's up to the authorities to decide.”

  Like so many others, Evans got lost in the time-consuming twists, turns and delays in the case. "It was a case that dragged on for so long I had no idea what was going on and what was going to happen. I just read the newspapers like the rest of us."

• Suspension could cost Contador millions

  

  Article published:

  February 7, 11:41

  By:

  Cycling News

  CAS still to rule on UCI's request for financial penalties

  Alberto Contador's conviction for doping and the resulting two-year suspension could end up costing him millions of Euros, between legal fees, penalties, the return of prize money and lost income.

  In its decision announced on Monday, CAS said that it would rule separately on the UCI's request to fine him “2,485,000 Euros in addition to the 70% of the variable part of his image contract".

  Contador is estimated to earn 5 million Euros a year under his Saxo Bank contract, and 70 percent of that would be 3.5 million Euros.

  However, the court order also requires the “forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes" he won at the Tour de France 2010, Giro d'Italia 2011 and all other races after January 25, 2011.

  It is not clear to whom  the fines would be paid, and what would be done with the money.  Nor is it known whether the prize money would be returned to race organisers and subsequently paid to the new winner, or whether the forfeiture would include bonuses paid by the team or sponsors.

  He also faces the loss of his income until the ban expires in August.

  The case itself has cost Contador a lot of money in legal fees alone.  He may have paid up to 2 million Euros to his various lawyers already, Daniel Malbranque, former general secretary of the professional riders union, told Bloomberg.net.

  “The money runs out very quickly in these cases,” he said. “He’s been paying lawyers non-stop for 18 months.”

  In addition, Bloomberg reported that Contador lost at least one potential sponsor due to the doping case.  A deal with Hugo Boss AG to supply him with clothing for public appearances was cancelled when the positive doping control became public, Till Pohlmann, head of sports sponsorship for the luxury clothing company said.