Etixx-QuickStep's Tony Martin has been on the move during the first four stages of Pais Vasco this week. The German time trial specialist has animated each stage with breakaway attempts and lead-outs for his teammate and world champion Michal Kwiatkowski. Unfortunately on Wednesday’s third stage he did suffer a minor setback after a crash.
“As I had hoped, things went a lot better yesterday. My legs feel good and I can be satisfied with a deficit of about 40 seconds, especially since I crashed in the last 15 kilometers – my own fault,” he wrote on his website. “I didn’t hurt myself, as I landed on soft grass. But it was pretty muddy, as you can see here on my shoes.”
After the fourth stage, Kwiatkowski is in 13th place overall, 30 seconds behind race leader Sergio Henao (Team Sky), while Martin is in 36th overall at 8:53 back. The Etixx-QuickStep rider’s goal now is to put in a good time trial on Saturday final stage.
Cycling Canada highlights four major points to anti-doping policy
Cycling Canada announced on Thursday a new policy on anti-doping for cyclists and cycling support personnel in Canada. It was developed in consultation between the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) and the Athletes’ Council, and is meant to compliment the existing Canadian Anti-Doping Program. It was also based on the findings of the 2014 National Consultation on Doping in Canada, a report that found no culture of doping in cycling in the country.
In a press release, Cycling Canada highlighted four major points:
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
1. Cycling Canada will not hire, employ, subcontract or accept volunteer services from individuals who have received a sanction for an anti-doping rule violation, which results in a period of ineligibility of 12 months or longer.
2. Participants who have been sanctioned for an anti-doping rule violation may not be fully funded to participate in future National Team Projects upon return to the sport.
3. Cycling Canada will seek financial compensation from persons who have received a sanction for an anti-doping rule violation including:
a) Recovering Cycling Canada’s costs from related hearings. b) Seeking a fine proportionate to the seriousness of the violation.
4. Education of our athletes will be ramped up through RACE CLEAN and other programs. All fines collected will be used to support CC’s anti-doping education programs.
Bora-Argon 18 to Vattenfall Cyclassics
Bora-Argon 18 has received an invitation to the Vattenfall Cyclassics in August. It will be the team’s fifth consecutive appearance in the only German WorldTour race.
Team manager Ralph Denk said that the invitation “is a very special one for us this year,” noting that “with BORA we have a German name sponsor on our side, for whom the Cyclassics are extremely important."
The team’s best finish was 17th in 2012. “To date we have finished somewhere around the top 20 in the Cyclassics each year. We want that to change in 2015,” Denk said.
Zingle still out with heart inflammation
Romain Zingle of Cofidis is still sitting out with a heart inflammation caused by a virus. The 28-year-old hopes to be able to return to racing in July, but also knows that he may be facing the end of his career.
The problem was diagnosed in January. “Week after week I make progress, but I have to wait for the time being,” he told sporza.be.
He knew that he could expect to be out six months. “The end of April there will be another MRI scan of my heart to see how the recovery is going. Then another one in July. If it is good, then I can ride again."
However, Zingle is aware he may not ride at all this season, if ever again. “The doctors say that everything is going well, but this is a very unpleasant situation. Sometimes I even think of the end of my career, but I cannot lower my courage and I will return to the team.”
