Tour de France - Articles - Zimbio

What will Lance Armstrong and the ASO discuss?

Sun, 17 Nov 2008 03:18:20 GMT

posted by ucallrt
Lance Amstrong and Johan Bruyneel have requested a meeting with officials of the Amaury Sporting Organization, the organizers of the Tour de France. While the ASO banned the Astana team from the...

For the full story, go to http://www.bikeworldnews.com

Alberto Contador Contador Says He Will Miss 2009 Giro

Tue, 29 Oct 2008 11:43:25 GMT

posted by yours

MADRID: Alberto Contador won’t race in the 2009 Giro d’Italia and may also miss the Spanish Vuelta to focus on winning the Tour de France.

The Spaniard has claimed a sweep of cycling’s three major races, including the 2007 Tour.

“Having won the Giro and the Vuelta this year, I’m going to return to the Tour to try and win,” Contador said. “I will not participate in the Giro 2009. I’ll prepare for the Tour by racing in other competitions.

“I’m certain to compete in races after the Tour, but I still have to decide whether I’ll participate in the Vuelta or not,” Contador said.

The 25-year-old Astana rider told journalists while at a charity race Sunday that he might take part in the Paris-Nice event, which he won in 2007, or the Castilla and Leon Vuelta and possibly the Basque Country Vuelta.

Contador did not race in the 2008 Tour for Astana because his new team was barred for previous doping violations.

Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong announced his cycling comeback last month after three years of retirement. However, Astana team manager Johan Bruyneel said last week that there was only a “50-50″ chance the American will compete in the 2009 Tour.

Check this Article.....

Tue, 8 Oct 2008 21:39:00 GMT

posted by magster200
Check out this article from The Australian Online Newspaper. It is entitled "Peddlers Lead the Peloton" by Patrick Smith.
Is it just me or can you sense the Cadel love/Schleck hate coming through here?
"Schleck, from Luxembourg, finished sixth in this year's tour- he had the yellow jersey after stage 15 and held it for 3 days- and along with his brother, Andy, hassled Australian Cadel Evans so intensely that he was unable to withstand eventual winner Carlos Sastre. The agency report said Frank Schleck gave evidence to his national anti-doping agency about the transfer. After he took the leader's jersey, Schleck said 'thanks, bro" in recognition of the support he received from Andy in forcing Evans to chase too hard.
The Schlecks and Sastre all rode for the same team-CSC Saxo Bank"
First of all- WTF? Poor Cadel-- he was "hassled" by those mean Schleck brothers. For God's sake- it's COMPETITIVE cycling you nimrod, Mr. Smith. What are they supposed to do? Kiss Cadel's furry ass?
Second, what's with inserting the sentence about the meeting with the Lux anti-doping agency in between the discussion of the TdF and the last sentence that states that Frank thanked Andy after he received the yellow jersey? What was he supposed to say to his little bro? F-off? This paragraph is completely nonsensical and impugns our boys on the premise that because they rock and Cadel sucks they must be evil.
Third, the cryptic note that all 3 riders rode for CSC. What's that all about? I am sensing an undertone of jealousy, pettiness, and downright defamation of character here.
Who the heck does Mr. Smith think he is? I know who you are Mr. Smith; and I have my eyes on you!

Austrian cyclist Kohl tested positive for CERA

Sun, 13 Oct 2008 19:59:00 GMT

posted by caffeinatedcyclist
So the 'mighty' keep falling... My guess that this year's Tour de France was not the 'clean' Tour that everone was hoping for...

PARIS (AP)—Third-place Tour de France finisher Bernhard Kohl tested positive for a banned blood booster when his race samples were checked for the new drug.

French anti-doping agency director Pierre Bordry told The Associated Press on Monday that he told Austrian anti-doping authorities, who confirmed the doping case.

The Austrian cyclist is the fourth rider to be caught using CERA, an advanced version of EPO.

The new blood tests for CERA also exposed Kohl’s teammate at Gerolsteiner, Stefan Schumacher, and Italian cyclists Riccardo Ricco and Leonardo Piepoli.

Kohl, the Tour’s best rider in the mountains, finished third behind Carlos Sastre and Cadel Evans in the second-tightest podium finish in the 105-year-old race.

Kohl risks a two-year suspension and could lose his podium spot to fourth-place Denis Menchov of Russia.

Lance Armstrong coming back

Mon, 9 Sep 2008 10:38:07 GMT

posted by celebmanx

Lance Armstrong will come out of retirement next year to compete in five road races with the Astana team, according to sources familiar with the developing situation.

Armstrong, who turns 37 this month, will compete in the Amgen Tour of California, Paris-Nice, the Tour de Georgia, the Dauphiné Libéré and the Tour de France — and will race for neither salary nor bonuses, the sources, who asked to remain anonymous, told VeloNews.

Armstrong’s manager, Mark Higgins, did not respond to questions. And an Astana spokesman denied the report to The Associated Press.

“He is no part of our team,” Astana team press officer Philippe Maertens told the AP in an e-mail. “Team Astana has no plans with him.”

However, sources close to the story have told VeloNews that an exclusive article on the matter will be published in an upcoming issue of Vanity Fair, expected later this month. Vanity Fair editors did not respond to requests for comment.

Rumors of Armstrong’s return swirled at last week’s Eurobike trade show in Germany and this week’s Tour of Missouri.

The rumor speculates that Armstrong will reunite with former team manager Johan Bruyneel at Team Astana — a viable option given Armstrong’s long-lasting relationships not only with the Belgian director but also Trek, Astana’s bike sponsor.

According to sources, the Texan will post all of his internally tested blood work online, in an attempt to establish complete transparency and prove that he is a clean athlete.

The rumor, which has been rampant for nearly a month, gained legs when former Discovery Channel team director Dirk Demol signed with Astana for 2009.

“I am excited to be reunited with Johan Bruyneel,” Demol said. “What Johan has been able to do this year with Team Astana is quite special and admirable and I look forward to being a part of his program once again. It will be a new team with some familiar faces, but I know the winning philosophy and structure have remained the same.”

Other rumors are that Armstrong will continue to pursue mountain bike racing, and may try his hand at cyclocross as well.

Should Armstrong return with Astana, it would bolster a squad that arguably boasts the sport’s best stage-racing team.

In Missouri, Columbia rider George Hincapie, a close friend of Armstrong’s and the only man to ride on all seven of the Texan’s Tour winning teams, simply smiled when asked what he knew about the rumor, saying, “I don’t know anything.”

Armstrong re-enrolled himself into the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s out-of-competition testing pool prior to August’s Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race, where he finished second to Dave Wiens, said USA Cycling chief operating officer Sean Petty.

USADA rules state that any athlete who wishes to come out of retirement must enroll in the USADA out-of-competition testing program for at least six months in advance of regaining eligible status.

A return to racing would no doubt bring large crowds to American races, and could perhaps save the Tour de Georgia, which is struggling to land a title sponsor.

Petty said that should Armstrong wish to return to racing, “it would be one of the most exciting things to happen to American racing since he won his seventh Tour. Depending on his plan, if that is what he wanted to do, it would be tremendously exciting and would generate a tremendous amount of attention on the sport, and on what he’s doing. People would be very interested to see how he would do in a comeback.”

The last big-name rider to return from retirement was Italian Mario Cipollini, who signed with Rock Racing and competed at this year’s Amgen Tour of California after three years away from the sport. Cipollini failed to win a stage, but took third in a field sprint and said, “This finish means as much to me as any victory.”

Following the race Cipollini had a contractual dispute with Rock team owner Michael Ball and left the team.

(source)