Icarus doping documentary wins an Oscar - News Shorts

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Icarus won an Oscar for best documentary at the Academy Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles. Directed and written by Bryan Fogel, the Netflix documentary exposed state-sponsored doping in Russia.

Icarus started out with Fogel recording his own doping programme for the Haute Route as part of an investigation into doping practices in cycling. It also highlighted his fascination with Lance Armstrong.

The documentary went on to capture the scope of the alleged Russian doping programme after Fogel was put in contact with Grigory Rodchenkov, the former director of Russia's Anti-Doping Center who became a whistleblower.

Fogel dedicated the award to Rodchenkov, who fled Russia to the United States and assisted the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-Commissioned McLaren Report. Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren led the investigation, which alleged that around 1,000 Russians across Summer, Winter, non-Olympic and Paralympic sport were implicated in a doping manipulation scheme at events taking place between 2011 and 2015.

"We hope 'Icarus' is a wake-up call, yes about Russia but more than that about the importance of telling the truth," Fogel said.

Fogel said that Rodchenkov continues to live in "grave danger". The Russian is currently living in hiding in the US and is protected by US authorities.

Icarus was up against Agnes Varda's Faces Places and White Helmets documentary Last Men in Aleppo.

Quick-Step Floors to support Gaviria in Tirreno-Adriatico sprints

Fernando Gaviria will return to Tirreno-Adriatico for a third straight year aiming to add another stage win to his streak. He will have the support for Quick-Step Floors during the seven-day race that starts in Lido di Camaiore on Wednesday.

Gaviria started his season winning the opening stage of the Vuelta a San Juan and went on to captivate his home crowds in Colombia by winning the first three stages and the points classification at Paz y Oro. His return to Europe for a run at the Classics has been less successful, however, with 86th at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, 46th at Strade Bianche and he didn't finish Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, where he struggled with the cold conditions.

Outside of the sprint stages, Tirreno-Adriatico includes an opening team time trial and a closing individual time trial, along with stages for the puncheurs. Quick-Step Floors will also field two other former stage winners with Zdenek Stybar and Philippe Gilbert, who hasn't raced Tirreno-Adriatico since the 2014 edition. He recently placed fifth at Omloop Het Neiuwsblad and second at Le Samyn.

Bob Jungels, who recently placed to third at the Drôme Classic, will be the team's designated leader for the general classification. He placed third overall in the 2016 edition.

Quick-Step Floors' roster will also include Le Samyn winner Niki Terpstra, Iljo Keisse, and Gaviria's lead-out man Maximiliano Richeze.

"I think it's one of the strongest GC line-ups in years," sports director Rik van Slycke said in a team press release. "And adding to that the cold temperatures and rain forecasted for this week, we should be in for quite a race, a very difficult one to predict, but to which we are looking forward.

"Best young rider of the past two editions, Bob comes at the start with GC goals and we will support him as much as possible, while also creating and taking chances in other stages with the likes of Fernando, Philippe, Zdenek or Niki, who impressed last week in Le Samyn," van Slycke said. "The entire squad comes here in good shape and motivated, so we look ahead with confidence to this challenge."

Quick-Step Floors roster for Tirreno-Adriatico: Fernando Gaviria, Philippe Gilbert, Bob Jungels, Iljo Keisse, Maximiliano Richeze, Zdenek Stybar and Niki Terpstra.

Aru, Ulissi to lead UAE Team Emirates at Tirreno-Adriatico

UAE Team Emirates will try to win the overall title at Tirreno-Adriatico with double-GC contenders Fabio Aru and Diego Ulissi.

"We are going to Tirreno-Adriatico with an aim in the general classification," said Sports Director Mario Scirea. "We can aim for the overall both with Fabio Aru and Diego Ulissi, who showed at the start of this season to be going strong.

The team will also include Simone Consonni, Valerio Conti, Filippo Ganna, Marco Marcato and Jan Polanc.

"It will be key to race a good team time trial, above all against those teams that are aiming for an overall victory. We can count on Ganna and Consonni, who just came from the track worlds, to help. And also Marcato and Ulissi, who rode a good time trial in the Abu Dhabi Tour."

Aru, who will compete in the Giro d'Italia in May, starts his second race of the season after Abu Dhabi Tour, where he placed 13th overall.

"Tirreno-Adriatico is for sure one of my season goals," Aru said. "I only have the Abu Dhabi Tour in my legs so far, but for sure that test that I did in the Emirates helped in understanding what I need to work on in the period ahead of Tirreno-Adriatico. This will be a complete race for us, where also the time trial is fundamental. We are going in motivated and setup to race well."

UAE Team Emirates roster for Tirreno-Adriatico: Fabio Aru, Simone Consonni, Valerio Conti, Filippo Ganna, Marco Marcato, Jan Polanc, Diego Ulissi.

BMC's Drucker eighth in Paris-Nice stage 2 sprint

Jean-Pierre "Jempy" Drucker (BMC Racing) was briefly near the front of the bunch sprint during stage 2 at Paris-Nice, but he lost momentum after being boxed in on the run-in to the finish line in Vierzon.

The sprint was looking good for Drucker, up until that point, after a strong lead-out from Simon Gerrans. He then jumped from wheel to wheel, according to a team press release, before launching a sprint with 300 metres to go. He was passed on the way to the line by the charge of other sprinters, including winner Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo).

"The first half of the race was almost like a training ride with a number on the back," Drucker said. "I think with 50km to go it heated up a bit when Naesen attacked and then there were more attacks, so from then on it was a pretty good pace.

"The final was super fast," Drucker said. "I had Simon Gerrans with me and we said already before the start of the stage that it was important to be in front with 5km to go. Simon put me in a good position and then it was up to me. I surfed from wheel to wheel and then I saw the 300m to go sign and I started my sprint.

"I got a bit squeezed in by Andre Greipel and Elia Viviani, and I lost a bit of speed there. It was a pity because with an uphill sprint you directly lose three or four positions. I am a bit disappointed because I could finish higher up but that's sprinting.”