A proud moment for Tyler Hamilton (Image credit: AFP Photo)
Tyler Hamilton reportedly inked a contract with the newly-formed Tinkoff Credit Systems professional continental team last month. The connection, long since rumored, was confirmed in an interview with owner Oleg Tinkoff, by a Russian newspaper, Sportcom. In the interview, Tinkoff named the American and Russia's Evgeni Petrov as the leaders of the team, and said that the squad will focus on several ProTour events; Milan-Sanremo, Tour of Lombardy, as well as the French and Belgian spring classics. The team will attempt to gain wild-card entries into the Grand Tours, in particular the Giro d'Italia, and endeavor to gain a ProTour license by 2009.
Hamilton himself has remained tight-lipped about any contracts, but did confirm in an interview this weekend that he had signed with a team for 2007, but refused to name the team. Linked to the Operación Puerto scandal, last month UCI president Pat McQuaid questioned the signing of riders such as Hamilton and Ullrich as a violation of the ProTour code of conduct due to their involvement in ongoing investigations. If Hamilton's connection to the Operación Puerto scandal holds weight in court when the case concludes next year, he could face a lifetime ban. However, following the recent clearing of riders including Ivan Basso and Santiago Botero, who have signed with teams after being implicated in Operación Puerto, Hamilton's hopes of re-joining the pro peloton are a possibility.
